Chelsea 2021

Coach: Thomas Tuchel

Thomas Tuchel took charge of Chelsea in January 2021 with the club mid-table and directionless, and within five months had turned the squad into European champions, beating Manchester City 1-0 in an all-English final in Porto through a Kai Havertz goal — a remarkable turnaround achieved largely through tactical reorganisation rather than new signings, switching to a back-three system that transformed the team's defensive solidity almost overnight. N'Golo Kanté was named man of the match in the final and was arguably the outstanding midfielder in Europe across that stretch of the season, while Édouard Mendy, signed the previous summer, gave Chelsea a settled and increasingly commanding presence in goal. The win denied Pep Guardiola's Manchester City their first-ever Champions League title and meant Chelsea became European champions for the second time in club history, both triumphs achieved under managers — Di Matteo and Tuchel — who had taken over mid-season under difficult circumstances. Tuchel's rapid impact remains one of the more striking examples in recent memory of a coaching change transforming a squad's fortunes within months.