Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel has told Juventus they 'lost a big champion, a big reference and a big personality' by selling Cristiano Ronaldo to Manchester United.
Tuchel's side faces the Old Lady in the Champions League on Wednesday night, and the Chelsea boss spoke ahead of the game about his opponent's struggles this season.
He noted that 'any team in the world' would be weaker without Ronaldo as he spoke about what makes the Man United No. 7 so good.
Speaking to the Chelsea club website, Tuchel said: "It’s not a secret any team in the world without Cristiano is in some parts of the game a weaker team, because he is one of the greatest ever players.
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"They lost a big champion, a big reference and a big personality. But you can win games and be a strong team without Cristiano Ronaldo. This is also a truth. And they are.
"They have a lot of experience, they have a lot of talent, and they have a big squad. They have a very experienced coach, and they are a proud club that is used to winning. They have a certain mentality that is shaped by winning, and shaped by the demand of winning.
"It is my first time to play Juventus. We face hard competitors, and this is what we like. We are up for tough challenges and we hope to constantly get better. This challenge will make us a better team, and we are looking forward to it."
Tuchel transformed Chelsea into European champions in just 124 days after arriving at the club following Frank Lampard's departure from Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea launched the defence of their Champions League crown by edging past Zenit St Petersburg 1-0 at Stamford Bridge on September 14.
The Blues now head to Turin to face Juventus on Wednesday smarting from a first defeat in the new season in Saturday’s 1-0 home loss by Manchester City.
