Thomas Tuchel says it is a “huge privilege” to be England’s next manager and that he has “long felt a personal connection” to football in the country.
TEAMtalk revealed that the Football Association approached the former Chelsea boss earlier this month, with the German confirming he was interested in the post.
Our sources confirmed Manchester United also had the ex-Bayern Munich manager on their radar but in the end, the 51-year-old will take up his position with England from January 1, 2025.
Tuchel, who replaces Gareth Southgate on a permanent basis after he resigned following England’s Euro 2024 final loss to Spain this summer, has signed an 18-month contract with the Three Lions.
He said in a statement on the FA’s website: “I am very proud to have been given the honour of leading the England team. I have long felt a personal connection to the game in this country, and it has given me some incredible moments already. To have the chance to represent England is a huge privilege, and the opportunity to work with this special and talented group of players is very exciting.”
The FA stated the decision to recruit Tuchel – who will succeed interim manager Lee Carsley – and his former Bayern assistant Anthony Barry as his number two was approved by the governing body early last week, with the 51-year-old signing his contract on October 8.
The report, which also says Tuchel was the ‘preferred candidate’ from ‘several’ managers interviewed, adds the announcement was delayed to ‘minimise distraction’ around England’s latest international camp for their Nations League matches against Greece and Finland.
Tuchel added: “Working closely with Anthony as my assistant coach, we will do everything we can to make England successful and the supporters proud. I want to thank the FA, in particular (FA CEO) Mark [Bullingham] and (technical director) John [McDermott], for their trust and I am looking forward to starting our journey together.”
‘One of the best in the world’
Since making a name for himself as a young, promising coach at Mainz 05, Tuchel has become a serial winner, lifting silverware at Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea, and Bayern.
His Champions League triumph with Chelsea in 2021 is a standout moment, particularly as the Blues were struggling a great deal just a few months prior before he took over.
Following his appointment, Tuchel – who was made aware that he would be United’s number one target if they decided to sack Red Devils boss Erik ten Hag, TEAMtalk confirmed – has been hailed as “one of the best coaches in the world”.
FA CEO Bullingham said in a statement: “We are thrilled to have hired Thomas Tuchel, one of the best coaches in the world and Anthony Barry who is one of the best English coaches to support him. Our recruitment process has been very thorough.
“Before the Euros we had a contingency plan and outlined exactly the qualities we would be looking for in a coach. Since Gareth resigned, we have worked through the candidate pool, meeting a number of coaches and evaluating them against that criteria.
“Thomas was very impressive and stood out with his vast expertise and his drive. Anthony is a top English talent and also has international experience with Republic of Ireland, Belgium and Portugal.
“Fundamentally we wanted to hire a coaching team to give us the best possible chance of winning a major tournament, and we believe they will do just that. Thomas and the team have a single-minded focus on giving us the best possible chance to win the World Cup in 2026.”
Tuchel’s impressive managerial career
Since embarking on his managerial career in 2007 at FC Augsburg II, Tuchel has enjoyed a win percentage of around 60. At Augsburg it was just under 59, but at Mainz it dropped below 40.
However, he topped 60 per cent at Dortmund and was bang on that mark at Chelsea and Bayern. At PSG, Tuchel had a stunning 74.8 per cent win ratio.
That, his tactical nous and ability to win the biggest trophies, is why the FA want him to try and lead England to 2026 World Cup glory in North America in just over 18 months.
Thomas Tuchel’s managerial record in numbers
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