Thomas Tuchel says that he does not care over the opinion of neutral supporters about Chelsea and Newcastle's Premier League clash on Sunday, stating that he is only targeting victory at Stamford Bridge.
The Blues welcome the Magpies amid increased scrutiny over their ownership, with the former's sale by long-term owner Roman Abramovich currently frozen by the UK government amid sanctions relating to the Ukraine-Russia crisis., and the latter bought by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund earlier this season.
Those off-field issues have given rise to the suggestion that neither side will be the pick for punters watching this weekend - but speaking ahead of the game, Tuchel says that he is more driven to delivering the result than mulling over what others think.
What has been said?
"Maybe [neutrals want no one to win] but I don't care, I want us to win," Tuchel stated. "I tell you it will be a difficult one because Newcastle is strong, very, very strong. It's a different Newcastle and they produce a lot of results. So I'm expecting a very, very tough game.
"Sorry, but I don't care so much what the neutral spectators think about who should win. I think in the end, everybody wants to be excited to watch games and want to be entertained and this is what we're up to.
Next Match
"In the moment we try to have the focus right and tried to have the attitude right and the guys do this in a very impressive way and we need it on Sunday."
The bigger picture
The latest round of sanctions against Abramovich has left Chelsea in an unprecedented bind, though a sale of the club looks likely to be allowed to progress if a buyer can be found.
Billionaire Nick Candy remains interested in the Blues, who shrugged off their off-pitch woes with an easy win over Norwich on Thursday.
Newcastle likewise continued their rise from the relegation battle under Eddie Howe with a win against Southampton.
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