Thomas Tuchel's decision to punish Romelu Lukaku for his interview in December has been slammed by Garth Crooks as 'overzealous nonsense'.

The Blues £97.5million club-record signing delivered a bombshell interview in December in which he confessed to being unhappy under Thomas Tuchel and added that 'he knows' he will return to the Serie A giants.

Lukaku was fined at least a week's wages and was forced to issue a grovelling apology to the club and the fans soon afterwards after being dropped for the 2-2 draw at home to Liverpool.

The Belgian has since returned and scored the first goal in the 2-1 win against Palmeiras in the Club World Cup final on Saturday, having already netted the winner against Saudi side Al-Hilal in the semi-final three days before.

But Crooks believes the previous ordeal could have cost Chelsea, but praised the 28-year-old for knuckling down and leading the Blues to victory in the only competition they had not previously won in their history.

'I said Thomas Tuchel would need Romelu Lukaku and so it is proving,' Crooks told BBC Sport.

'The overzealous nonsense by the Chelsea manager in sanctioning the Belgium striker after he fell for the flattery of an interviewer in Italy almost cost Tuchel and the club.

'Instead Lukaku apologised when other strikers of similar calibre might have put two fingers up to the manager and made for the exit.

'All credit to Lukaku, who has knuckled down and worked his way back to form with regular appearances, which is all the £97.5m player wanted in the first place.

'Lukaku led the line brilliantly against Palmeiras and was instrumental in Chelsea winning the Club World Cup for the first time in their history. Not a bad return.'

It comes after ex-Chelsea star Geremi claimed Lukaku's criticism of Thomas Tuchel in the bombshell Sky Italia interview was 'misunderstood and misinterpreted'.

He told the Daily Mirror: 'I think that there was a lot of misunderstanding and misinterpretation about what happened.

'His attitude says that he is happy, so I think it was all misinterpreted about what he said.

'Of course, I think he can still give more, but he is trying. Lukaku is one of the best strikers in the world and every club would love to have him in the squad.'