BEFORE embarking on the mission to help England win the World Cup for the first time since 1966, Thomas Tuchel took a detour. His destination? The Nambikadavu Road in Thalikulam, Thrissur, to the Sitaram Beach Retreat in Kerala by the sea.
The German is somebody who follows Ayurveda.
In fact, he spent a few weeks there in 2022 after he was let go by English giants Chelsea. He had visited the centre a few months after one of the most extraordinary endings in Premier League game history.
In one of the earliest weekends of the 2022-23 season, Tuchel (then coach of Chelsea) and Antonio Conte (then Tottenham coach) squared off against each other following a handshake. Both coaches saw red before the German accused the Italian of disrespect as he didn't see him in the eye as they shook. Weeks later, Tuchel was shown the door. In 2021, he had given the London side one of their greatest nights by helping them win the Champions League. Now, he was let go.
The 52-year-old decided he needed to rejuvenate after a fairly tumultuous period in his professional life. "He wanted to come for a reset in 2022," Vignesh Devraj, the founder of the Sitaram Retreat, tells this daily. When he was there the first time, he underwent a 'panchakarma treatment' according to the Retreat's Insta handle. "Over time, I felt healthier, lighter, more self-aware, and genuinely at peace," was Tuchel's takeaway per a testimonial he left on the company's website. He had been told of the facility by one of his assistant coaches. "For a very long time, I had become attached to meditation, the lifestyle and the philosophy and I always had a good feeling about it... I had a very demanding last four years," he had told Devraj in a video put out by the Retreat on their YouTube channel in 2022. "Now, there was a little break and a new start in my life (so that's why I decided to come)."
"The purpose of this place is for people to come and experience authentic Ayurveda," Devraj says. One of the processes involves giving up sugary substances and reducing screen time. "It's about living through 2-3 weeks of a lifestyle which helps the body and mind reconnect with nature," Devraj says. "The idea is to restore sleep cycles, sleep on time and eat food easy to digest."
Tuchel, whose half-time talk inspired his wards to a fine 4-2 win over Croatia in the opener, also followed the same process where, among other things, he had to give up chocolates for a period of time. He will happily make a few exceptions as long as he is able to give England their second World Cup triumph and first since 1966.