Thomas Tuchel has revealed why his trainers figured prominently in celebrations after Chelsea's 1-0 win over Manchester City in the 2021 Champions League final.
The Blues headed back to their dressing room on the back of a memorable European triumph to revel in their success away from prying eyes.
When Tuchel joined the party, with champagne bottle in hand, events took a bizarre turn as his footwear became the centre of attention.
What happened?
Olivier Giroud, Antonio Rudiger and Kurt Zouma were quick to get involved with Tuchel's trainers when their manager arrived for the post-match celebrations.
The German's footwear was doused in champagne as it suddenly became central to a party that should have been focused on a famous piece of continental silverware.
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What has been said?
Explaining the surprising scenes to Chelsea's official website , former Paris Saint-Germain boss Tuchel has said: "I had these exact trainers in Paris and I made a promise that we will wear these shoes when we reach the Champions League final.
"They were a present from the president at PSG and I promised my staff I would wear them in the final.
"I did not wear them that day, and we lost [to Bayern Munich]. I made sure I wore them this year and they worked!"
The bigger picture
Tuchel was prevented from wearing his lucky trainers in a 2020 showpiece as he suffered a sprained ankle and broken metatarsal in the build-up to the game , forcing him to don a protective boot.
History was made, though, in the campaign just gone as he became the first man to make back-to-back Champions League finals with different clubs.
He also got his hands on the ultimate prize, with a solitary strike from Kai Havertz proving to be enough for Chelsea as they edged out Premier League rivals in Porto.
