Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku has apologized for an unapproved interview given to Sky Italy in which he expressed his unhappiness at the club and claimed he wants to return to Inter Milan one day.
Sources tell ESPN that Lukaku is also expected to stay at the club, with the following candid conversation with head coach Thomas Tuchel. The 28-year-old was ruled out in Sunday's 2-2 draw against Liverpool, with Tuchel worried about the "noise" caused by the interview.
Lukaku trained at the club's Cobham base on Monday before meeting with Tuchel to discuss his motivation for arranging the interview, which took place more than three weeks ago but was released last Thursday. Sources told ESPN that Lukaku expressed remorse over how he obtained the interview and claimed that his main focus was to address the backlash to Italy leaving Inter in the summer.
In a video released by Chelsea on Tuesday, Lukaku said he was sorry for the controversy caused by the release of the interview.
"You guys know I've been involved with this club since I was a teenager, so you know, I totally understand that you guys are upset," he said.
"Obviously it is now up to me to restore your trust and I will do my best to show commitment every day on the training field to make sure we win games ... and also to my teammates and the manager of the board because I Looks like this was also not the right time."
Speaking on Tuesday ahead of the team's Carabao Cup first leg semi-final clash against Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday, Tuchel acknowledged that "there will certainly be some disciplinary action and [Lukaku] will accept it."
"It's what happened. It's not a small thing, it's not the biggest thing and it doesn't make a comeback impossible, not at all, that's what we prove now. But something happened. He will be fined and of course he will be fined." It needs to be accepted."
Chelsea declined to comment on reports in Italy that Lukaku has been fined €600,000 for his actions, but sources told ESPN last weekend that the senior figures had been doing such an candid interview without the club's approval. Taking a dim view of his decision to make arrangements, we were contemplating strict action.
"At first, we were happy that we took the necessary time to look calmly at this," Tuchel said. "That's what we did. He apologized and is back on the team for today's training.
"For me, the most important thing was to understand and clearly understand. I believe he didn't do it intentionally to create this kind of noise in front of a big game and second, it was the first time he Even behaved ... even earlier when he felt he was ready to play, for example after his injury, from the very beginning.
“We thought he needed to read a little bit more with intensity. There was never a slight tactic against the team, so this was the first time we felt it that way; these are very important points to stay calm and it To understand that it is not as big as maybe people would like.
"It's not petty, but small enough to stay calm, accept an apology, and move on. He's a passionate person. He doesn't hold back on his opinion, so it's to his credit. Sometimes he does his own thing." He has a heart on his tongue. It is like this and we should not just blame him. We should adapt to the situation."
Lukaku joined Chelsea in a €1.5 million move, partly motivated by Inter's financial difficulties, but was widely criticized by Inter fans, some of whom unveiled a banner outside the San Siro, which Translated into English, read: "It doesn't matter who runs away in the rain. It matters who stays in the storm. Goodbye Romelu."
Chelsea took a dim view of the interview being conducted without the club's knowledge, and the impression was that he was unhappy at the club amid disappointment over Tuchel's tactical approach.
But sources have told ESPN that Tuchel is keen to renegotiate Lukaku and the player is not pushing for a move away from the club this month.
Lukaku is expected to take steps to improve relations with both his teammates and Chelsea supporters, who supported Tuchel throughout the game against Liverpool at Stamford Bridge.
Tuchel is also understood to have backed Chelsea's seniors to deal with the situation so far.
When asked about fans' reaction to Lukaku returning to action, Tuchel said: "He is very aware of what happened and what he created. He feels a responsibility to clean up the mess. Maybe That we'll still have a little smell from it, of course. He can handle it. He has no other choice.
"He can't expect everyone to be super-happy the next day, but he's still our player and we've got him to play for us, to convince him, to work hard and a lot of good reasons. That he is our player.
“We are glad that he is our player and we will protect him. Ultimately, it is also important that the stadium supports the team. Even if someone has a different opinion or strongly disagrees, it is about the team. In anything we do. I hope the supporters can take that as well and continue to support the team because we are in a moment where we really need support."
Meanwhile, Thiago Silva has signed a one-year extension with the club until the end of the 2022–23 season.
The defender moved to Stamford Bridge in August 2020 on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain and helped them win the Champions League last season.