Thomas Tuchel press conference LIVE: New England manager says ‘I’m sorry I have a German passport’
The German has been officially unveiled as the third foreign manager of England’s senior men’s side
England have officially announced Thomas Tuchel as the new manager of the men’s national team, with highly-regarded English coach Anthony Barry as his assistant.
The German succeeds Gareth Southgate as the permanent boss of the side in an eye-catching appointment made by the Football Association (FA). The former Chelsea manager has been out of work since leaving Bayern Munich at the end of last season, but carries real pedigree, leading the Stamford Bridge club to Champions League triumph in 2021 and winning league titles in both Germany and France.
The 51-year-old will lead England into the 2026 World Cup on North American soil having emerged as the FA’s preferred appointment this week – with official confirmation coming on Wednesday morning. A number of candidates, including Pep Guardiola, were sounded out over the vacancy while Lee Carsley performed the duties on an interim basis, but Tuchel fits many of the criteria outlined by the stand-in manager last week.
Having worked closely with captain Harry Kane at Bayern last season, Tuchel will be unveiled as the third foreign holder of the role after Sven-Goran Eriksson and Fabio Capello, but leading pundit Gary Lineker isn’t sure the Three Lions have made the right choice.
Follow all the latest updates in our live blog below as Tuchel speaks to the media for the first time as Three Lions boss:
Thomas Tuchel on whether or not he will sing English national anthem
New Three Lions manager Thomas Tuchel has been pressed on whether or not he will sing the English national anthem before matches.
The German native, who was today (16 October) officially unveiled as England’s new coach, gave his first press conference about his plans for the national side.
When asked if he will sing the country’s national anthem, the 51-year-old said: “I understand it is a personal decision, there are managers who sing and some who don’t. I have not made my decision yet.
“No matter what decision I take I will always show my respect to the country and a very moving anthem.”
Who would Germany’s Thomas Tuchel join on list of overseas England managers?
Fabio Capello (2007-2012)
Overall record: Played 42, won 28, drawn eight, lost six, scored 89, conceded 35, win ratio 66.7 percent.
Tournament record: Last 16 at 2010 World Cup, qualified for Euro 2012.
Strengths: Arrived with a stellar CV and coaching record, having won league titles with AC Milan, Real Madrid, Roma and Juventus. Extensive tactical knowhow produced defensively strong, disciplined teams.
Weaknesses: The English language – he once said he needed only 100 words to communicate with the players. However, that did nothing for his relationship with the media. His man-management was also found wanting as Capello also treated the players like schoolchildren, which was a huge change from his predecessor and not one well-received with the squad who described their 2010 World Cup base as a “luxury prison”.
Who would Germany’s Thomas Tuchel join on list of overseas England managers?
Sven-Goran Eriksson (2001-2006)
Record: Played 67, won 40, drawn 17, lost 10, scored 128, conceded 61, win ratio 59.7 percent
Tournament history: 2002 World Cup quarter-final, Euro 2004 quarter-final, 2006 World Cup quarter-final.
Strengths: Loved by the players, to whom he was incredibly loyal, and that helped foster a great team spirit and character. Calm under pressure, both on the field and off it with the media after a number of stories about his private life.
Weaknesses: His loyalty to chosen players in a settled squad often left him hamstrung or reluctant to bring in wildcard selections. The style of football was not very entertaining and was criticised for not getting more out of England’s ‘golden generation’.
Thomas Tuchel unveiled as new England manager
Can Tuchel win the World Cup?
Thomas Tuchel will be the England men’s national team’s 16th different permanent manager and just the third non-Englishman after Sven-Goran Eriksson and Fabio Capello.
According to Opta, Eriksson boasted a 59.7% winning record while Italy’s Capello’s was an impressive 66.7%. Tuchel has a 57.3% win percentage across 578 games as a manager with his best being 74.8% during his time with PSG.
These stats point to something but it’s unclear whether they will transfer to Tuchel actually winning the World Cup with England.
How would England line up under Thomas Tuchel?
Thomas Tuchel is the new favourite to become the next permanent England manager.
The former Chelsea head coach is now in line to succeed Gareth Southgate after holding talks with the FA. Tuchel has moved ahead of Lee Carsley, who has been the interim boss over the last four games.
But after confusing messages from Carsley to the media last week, Tuchel has emerged as the favourite, with Pep Guardiola, whose long-term Manchester City future remains unclear, also linked with the job.
How would England line up under Thomas Tuchel?
The German is the favourite to become the next permanent Three Lions head coach ahead of Lee Carsley, with Pep Guardiola also linked with the job
Ferdinand says Tuchel will ‘galvanise players’
Rio Ferdinand says the England players are likely to have feelings of “anxiety and apprehension kicking in” knowing that Thomas Tuchel is now the head coach.
“They want to be led to the promised land,” Ferdinand posted on X, formerly Twitter. “I know for a fact that these players will be sat there ringing each other and asking ‘what is he like?’ They will be calling all of their mates that have played under him.
“All of the players will be questioning themselves and asking whether they are what he likes. It will invigorate and galvanize some players but there will be a little of bit of anxiety and apprehension kicking in.”
Thomas Tuchel sends message to England fans
Thomas Tuchel addressed his appointment as England manager with a short social media message posted to the England Twitter account.
It in he said: “I’m quite a bit nervous, this is my first message as England head coach. I’m at Wembley, where else? There’s also a reason to be a bit nervous, it’s a good thing.
“I can promise you that I’m very excited and honoured and I will do everything to qualify and have a successful World Cup.”
Neville calls for new English identity
Gary Neville was assistant to Roy Hodgson when the FA established a new hub for English football at St George’s Park, in a bid to give the national game a sense of place and identity. Despite clear improvements in the technical quality of English players, elite managers are few and far between.
“What I have seen in this last 15, 20 years is the reputational damage that English coaching has taken,” Neville added. “We are in a rut when it comes to English coaching. English coaching is one of the least respected big nations in Europe when it comes to taking charge of a football team. Spanish, German, Italian coaches, Portuguese coaches are renowned for their styles of play, for their philosophy.
“We don’t have a clear identity as an English nation of what we are anymore. We haven’t built a style, we haven’t got a coach who’s built a style that’s unique to us and we’ve seen coaches from all around Europe come and input their styles into our game and we’re trying to copy what they do without really developing our own style.
“My view is that we need to build an identity as an English sort of country in terms of what our style of play is and let English coaches flourish, and St George’s Park was set up to do that.”
Gary Neville highlights problems with Thomas Tuchel’s England appointment
Gary Neville has warned the Football Association it has “hard questions to answer” after appointing German manager Thomas Tuchel as England’s new head coach.
Tuchel was announced on Wednesday as the new man in charge of the England national team after what the FA called a “very thorough” recruitment process. The 51-year-old will formally begin his role on 1 January, with Lee Carsley continuing in the interim.
And while Neville, who played under Eriksson in an 85-cap England career, praised the FA for hiring one of the best managers in world football, he said it signalled a “rut” in the history of English coaching.
“I think everybody in our country including myself will wish him all the best and hope we can get over the line and win a trophy,” Neville told Sky Sports. “But I think there are some serious questions for the FA to answer in respect of English coaching.
“I do think we are damaging ourselves by accepting that Thomas Tuchel is better than any of the other English coaches. With the English coaches that have managed in the upper echelons of the league with Eddie Howe at Newcastle and Graham Potter, I do think there are outstanding coaches that could have been appointed that were English.”
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