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Rabat – Former Dutch legend Marco Van Basten criticized Chelsea FC head coach Thomas Tuchel for his treatment of Hakim Ziyech, urging the international Moroccan to leave the club.
One week after taking the English football club to the final of the English FA Cup with his 55th minute winning goal at Wembley, Ziyech started on the bench on the Blues 1-0 win over West Ham on April 24.
Ziyech, one of Chelsea FC’s high-profile signings last summer, was a regular starter under former club head coach Frank Lampard. However, and since Tuchel took charge of the Blues, Ziyech has been left out of the starting line-up.
The 28-year-old has featured in 32 games for Chelsea this season, including 12 matches where he started on the bench, the former Ajax FC player scored five and provided four assists.
Former A.C Milan striker Marco Van Basten slammed Tuchel on leaving Hakim Ziyech out of the starting line-up, urging the Moroccan to leave Chelsea FC.
Van Basten told Dutch sports channel Ziggo Sport “Ziyech was on the bench yet again against West Ham. When he does come on they use him as a striker. He can operate in that role too, as he is a good player.”
Van Basten stated that Chelsea’s new system does not help the Moroccan playmaker to spread his magic.
“But I find it sad to see. The system that Thomas Tuchel employs is simply not good for Ziyech. If I was Hakim I would say to myself: ‘You know what, I’m going to leave,’” he added.
Former Chelsea FC defender Khalid Boulahrouz shared the same viewpoint as Van Basten.
Boulahrouz said: “It doesn’t feel good: you don’t play the football you want to play in a system that doesn’t suit you.”
“You don’t feel the appreciation of the trainer, his status under Lampard was very different from now under Tuchel,” Boulahrouz stressed.
Dirk Kuyt, meanwhile, queried the consistent presence of Timo Werner in the starting line-up.
“He scored in that FA Cup match against Manchester City. Then you think: well, he’s through it. The next game: boom, on the bench. Then you look at Werner, who can do whatever he wants. He plays over and over. He scored against West Ham, but he could have made one more,” the former Liverpool FC player told the same source.
Chelsea plays Real Madrid today in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League semi-final at Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano.
