We have already seen the difference the fans’ backing can make, with the excellent performance in Tuesday’s massive 2-1 win over Leicester City, the first game with supporters at Stamford Bridge since Tuchel arrived in January.

That impact was no surprise to our German head coach, though, who had long ago identified the fans’ return to stadiums as a crucial point in the development of this team, given the number of young and relatively inexperienced players in the squad, with several of them having played more games for the Blues without supporters than with them.

‘I even talked about it with the board in one of the very first talks with me,’ he said. ‘It is still a very young team and looking at the characteristics of the players, looking at all the young guys we have because there are so many of them, people should not forget the influence of not having the supporters.

‘They help them sometimes over difficult moments and can have a huge impact, even more impact than to a very experienced squad. But it goes in both directions. It can also increase the amount of pressure that you suddenly feel when you can hear the crowd moaning or not liking your actions.’

With that potential boost in mind, Tuchel is looking forward to the Chelsea supporters finally getting to see this team play in the flesh, and the relationship the players can build with those in the stands moving forward.

‘My approach is that we should do everything to get our fans off their seats and to let them feel our energy and intensity that we give in matches. Let them feel our passion about the game, then they will feel their passion instantly and feel happy to support us even if not everything is perfect.

‘I strongly believe that fans don’t only go to the stadium for the perfect game or the perfect result, they go for the energy and the special moments and to really support when they can feel that the team is really about intensity and football and love of the game, and this is what our young players can bring really well.’

Our head coach also believes the presence of so many Academy graduates in the current squad, like Mason Mount, Reece James, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Tammy Abraham, can only help form that bond between players and fans, as well as hinting at more breakthroughs to come given the strength of our Academy.

‘I love working with the Academy boys,’ added Tuchel. ‘I don’t treat them differently but I’m very happy when we have a lot of them on the training pitch. Also right now we have Tino Anjorin, Tino Livramento and other guys who regularly show up in training and try to adapt as quickly as possible to the level and to the work ethic and to be professional like the more experienced players.

‘This is what I absolutely love about football in general and about my work. The Academy has outstanding quality, it has managed for so many years to be on the highest level.

‘When you see the guys performing on our level it’s amazing to see, because I truly believe that if you constantly have young guys coming in and making it, it creates a bond with the supporters that you cannot buy, that these players care about the club in a different way than guys from outside.

‘It’s very nice for me also to see these pictures of when they were young and hear that this is their dream come true, but it’s super hard to make your way through the Academy and into top-level football at a club like Chelsea because the level is so high. That’s why the praise goes out to the Academy and everyone who works there. It’s fantastic and so nice to have.’