Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel lost his temper at a news conference ahead of their FA Cup match at Luton Town and snapped at journalists after being repeatedly asked about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The Premier League club is owned by billionaire businessman Roman Abramovich. The 55-year-old owner was asked by Ukraine on Monday to help mediate because of his background in Russia, where he made a fortune in the chaotic 1990s period of post-communist privatisation.

“How often do I need to say it? It’s horrible, of course, it’s horrible, there cannot be any other opinion about it,” a visibly angry Tuchel told a news conference ahead of Chelsea’s fifth round cup tie on Wednesday.

“Everybody in Europe has some noise in (their) head that nobody likes. Maybe it’s the same for you, but you still try to do your job as good as possible and it’s the same for us.”

The atmosphere heated up even more towards the end of the conference, when the 48-year-old German manager interrupted a journalist trying to ask another question about “the horrors of war”.

“Listen, you have to stop. I’m not a politician. You have to stop, honestly,” Tuchel said. “I can only repeat (myself) and I even feel bad to repeat it because I never experienced war... I’m very privileged, I sit here in peace and I do the best I can but you have to stop asking me these questions. I have no answers for you.”

Asked if he was worried about Chelsea’s future after Abramovich gave stewardship of the club to trustees of Chelsea’s foundation last week, Tuchel said his players and management team were trying to focus on their jobs.