With the ‘official’ announcement comes backlash.
Thomas Tuchel, the German coach of Chelsea and Bayern Munich, has taken over the reins of the England national team. The Football Association (FA) announced Tuchel’s appointment as the next manager of the England national team on Saturday. His contract is for one year and six months, until the 2026 North American World Cup. His tenure will begin on Jan. 1, 2025.
Gareth Southgate stepped down as England manager after Euro 2024 in July. Lee Carsley, the England U-21 coach, took charge of the A team in September and October. He will return to the U-21s in November after taking charge of two A matches.
Tuchel, who has also coached Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), won the European Champions League in the 2020-2021 season as Chelsea manager. He will be the third foreigner to coach England after Svengeran Eriksson (Sweden) and Fabio Capello (Italy).
England’s dream is still to win the trophy.
England has been silent since winning the 1966 World Cup on home soil. At the 2026 World Cup in North and Central America, they will try to conquer their first World Cup in 60 years.
Tuchel told the BBC: “Nothing is impossible in sport. The women’s team and the U21s have won. There is no reason why we can’t do it too,” he said, adding: ”We have to free ourselves from history and focus on the process. The journey will start in January,” he said.
This is Tuchel’s first time in charge of a national team rather than a club. 토토사이트 “I am delighted to be working with a very special and exciting group of players,” he said.
Tuchel was a candidate for the United job and even held meetings with owner Jim Ratcliffe in France. But Tuchel chose England: “The idea and the way they presented it was very quick, very confidential, very simple. It was a decision for this job and not against anything else,” he emphasized.
The FA called Tuchel in August to gauge his interest in the national team job.
“I realized very quickly that it was a big job,” he said at a press conference at Wembley in London, England, that day, ”and it doesn’t make sense to always think that the job you have is the biggest job and to compare it. It feels like a big job, it feels like a privilege,” he said, adding, ”I love what I do and I’m passionate about football. “I love what I do and I’m passionate about soccer. This role has brought me back to my childhood, it’s taken me back to being a teenager and getting excited about such a big task. With passion and emotion, you can be sure that you will fulfill your duties. We will try to fulfill our dream by establishing values, principles, and rules as soon as possible,” he said.
“We have an amazing generation of young and experienced players playing in the best leagues in the world. There is no reason to be afraid. We want to create a style of play, but we also want to create an atmosphere that will bring out the extra percentages we need, and we believe we can do it.”
But is it just a scratch on the ego of the ‘soccer bellwether’, or is there a stigma attached to being a ‘foreigner’? “I’m sorry that I have a German passport,” Tuchel says, ”but all the fans must have felt my passion for the Premier League and England, and how much I love living and working here. I hope I can convince them, show them and prove it. I am proud to be England manager and I will do everything to show my respect for this role and this country.”
The Irish international’s decision not to sing the England national anthem was controversial.
Tuchel said: “I know it’s a personal decision. Some coaches sing it, some don’t. I haven’t made a decision yet. Whatever decision I make, I will always show respect for the country and a very emotional anthem,” he said, avoiding controversy.
“I can ask myself not to lose focus in the immediate period leading up to the World Cup,” he said of his short 18-month contract, adding: ”It’s a very new role, but it’s also very exciting, because I came from a club manager. The moment I set my mind to the period from 2025 to the World Cup, I’m already excited. Pushing this group of players and being part of an FA with such a strong record in past tournaments aligns with my passion. I wanted to push the envelope and put a second star on the shirt,” he added.
Tuchel had a “bad relationship” with Kim Min-jae during his time as Bayern Munich manager. The midfielder fell out with Tuchel after the middle of last season, but has bounced back this season and reestablished himself as a regular center back. Under new coach Vincent Kompany, he has regained his ‘monster’ status.