Tuchel Admits Sympathy for Sterling as Former Chelsea Star Struggles to Revive Career

England manager Thomas Tuchel has said he feels sympathy for Raheem Sterling, who is going through the toughest period of his career.

Tuchel signed Sterling for Chelsea in 2022. He said the winger has struggled since leaving Manchester City, when he was at his peak. 

"I have a lot of sympathy for him and I feel that he has struggled ever since he left Man City and he was at the peak of his career," Tuchel said. "I was fighting for this transfer and he could never prove the importance that he normally had. It was a big step for him at that moment in time."

The German coach also spoke about the winger's off-field troubles. "It's sad to see that someone struggles because he was a devoted father for his children and he was a family guy, a nice guy to be around. It just seems that he goes through a difficult period," Tuchel said. 

"I'm not sure how much is his fault, sometimes you just enter a strange spiral in your life, a downward spiral. Thoughts of with him of course, the belief is always that he can turn it around and I wish him the best."

Sterling, 31, recently pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, having nitrous oxide and failing to provide a specimen. He crashed his Lamborghini into a metal gate after an incident on the M25 and M3 in May. Police found six nitrous oxide canisters in the car, and bodycam footage showed him trying to move them to the back seat. 

His barrister said he had taken steps of his own to deal with personal difficulties. He is banned from driving until he is sentenced. After the public attention, Sterling posted a short message on Instagram: "Progress over perfection."

He will go back to court on November 25 to learn his punishment. The case was put off so pre-sentence reports could be prepared.

It is a sharp fall for a four-time league champion who spent seven successful years at the Etihad Stadium. Spells at Chelsea and Arsenal did not go well, and his Chelsea contract was ended by mutual consent in January 2026. A move to Feyenoord in the Netherlands brought no goals or assists in eight games, and he is now without a club. The England international has 82 caps.

Finding a new team has been hard. Reports say Ligue 1 strugglers Le Havre and another French club turned him down because they already had enough attackers. For now, Sterling is keeping busy at his own RS7 Academy. Whether a club will take a chance on him will likely depend on what happens at his sentencing.