The FA have confirmed the appointment of Thomas Tuchel as Gareth Southgate’s permanent replacement, with the former Chelsea and Bayern Munich boss commencing his role on 1 January 2025.
The German will take over from Lee Carsley, who will remain in charge until the end of the year to oversee England’s UEFA Nations League clashes in November after being appointed as interim Head Coach following Gareth Southgate’s exit.
Speaking with the media at Wembley Stadium for the first time since being confirmed as the new Three Lions boss on an eighteen-month contract that will see him lead the team into the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Tuchel joked he was “sorry” for having a German passport and expressed his desire to “prove that I am proud to be an English manager.”
What did Thomas Tuchel say?
With the news of Tuchel’s appointment first reported by Sky Sports on Tuesday afternoon, social media had already descended into a fierce debate by the time the 51-year-old sat down to address the media alongside the FA’s CEO, Mark Bullingham.
Many were happy to see a world-class coach tasked with the job of steering England back to success on the global stage, while others were less enthused by the idea of a foreign manager – and a German one at that – leading the Three Lions into battle. The Daily Mail, for example, led with a headline that called Tuchel’s appointment ‘a dark day’ for English football.
MAIL SPORT COMMENT: It's a dark day for England as the manager's job goes to a GERMAN… and Thomas Tuchel only has 18 months to prove he's up to it https://t.co/4CVf7NUVj8 pic.twitter.com/MKgFRZLi9j
— Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) October 15, 2024
Quizzed for his thoughts on the debate, Tuchel offered a diplomatic answer.
“Everyone has their opinion and I can understand when someone says they’d fancy an English coach more for the English team but we deserve a fair chance,” he explained.
“I’m sorry, I have a German passport,” he added. “All of those supporters maybe felt my passion for the English Premier League and the country and how I love to live and work here.”
“Hopefully I can convince them and show them and prove to them I am proud to be an English manager and do everything to show respect to this role and this country and the target for the next 18 months.”
In part, the discourse has been sparked by Lee Carsley’s refusal to sing the national anthem, which some fans feel should be obligatory for the Head Coach of the Three Lions. Tuchel admitted: “I have not made my decision yet.”
“Your anthem is very moving, I experienced it several times here at Wembley here with the players at the FA Cup final and it was very touching. No matter what decision I take, we have our time until March and I’ll always show my respect.”
Embed from Getty ImagesAfter a successful stint with Chelsea, defined by their triumph over Manchester City in the 2020/21 UEFA Champions League final, Tuchel made repeated reference to his past experiences of English football and told reporters: “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.”
As for those dreams of adding a second star to the shirt come 2026, Tuchel praised the work of Gareth Southgate and commented that “the consistency of quarterfinals, semifinals and finals is impressive.”
“We have players who compete in the strongest leagues in the world, day in, day out,” he added.
“We’ll need to be lucky to not have injuries – that’s a given – but we feel confident to add something from our experience in club football that can help.”
