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:
Bullingham thanks Carsley for stepping into interim role
Right at the start of the press conference Mark Bullingham thanked Lee Carsley for filling the gap between Gareth Southgate and Thomas Tuchel.
He siad: “We are also delighted that Ant [Anthony Barry] is joining us. He is one of the most exciting young English coaches around.
“I’d like to thank Lee Carlsey for stepping into role for six matches, he’s handled himself really well and I’m sure will continue to do so. He will manage the team for the November international window, and then return to lead the Under-21s trying to defend their Euro under-21 title.
“I’d also like to thank Gareth and Steve. The fact we had such a high level of interest in this role was testament to the foundations they laid over their eight years with us.”
Did Tuchel speak with Harry Kane before his appointment?
“I did speak to no one. We kept it very confidential.” said the new England boss when asked if he reached out to England captain Harry Kane or former boss Gareth Southgate before taking on the role.
“I did not speak to Harry or Gareth. I never do this to get my own feelings for it and my own point of view. It’s too early to answer these questions.
“You know how highly I think of Harry and how hard I fought to bring him to Bayern Munich. He is already on his way to being a legend in English football.”
How will Thomas Tuchel change the England team?
Tuchel says he will build on the vision and processes that Gareth Southgate put in place during his time at England boss and explained a few things he will try to develop.
Tuchel said: “The players have proved that they are there, the consistency is impressive, we have players who compete in the strongest league in the world every week.
“We have the ingredients and we fully trust that this is the moment to instal, from club football, patterns, behaviours and principles to push the team over the line.
“We will need luck also, but we feel confident. We speak openly about the target – the second star [on the shirt] – but I have to prove myself every day.”
New England boss signed 18-month contract
Thomas Tuchel explained why he only signed a short term deal the with national team and explained, in a joking manner, that he has experience with 18-month deals.
“Let’s see, it’s 18 months, then we agreed to sit together,” said Tuchel when explaining his contract with England. “I have good experience with 18 months [laughs]. I’m working on my long-term game also.
“In this particular case it was important for me to have a frame around it as it’s a bit of a step into the dark for me as I’m used to working every day [with players].
“The last piece of it from me to understand that this is something that can really excite me to the fullest was the timeframe of 18-months but to demand from myself to not lose the focus. It’s a good timeframe because it will help us focus. It is very streamlined.
“I can understand some people would prefer an English coach but I think we deserve a fair chance, for having a good record in the country and for how much we love living in this country.
“We’ll try to convince them through results.”
Bullingham addresses ‘uncomfortable truth'
FA CEO Mark Bullingham spoke about the ‘uncomfortable truth’ that Thomas Tuchel isn’t English.
He said: “We were also very clear that we wanted the very best person for the job and we feel like we owe it to the players and the country to give them that support and leadership in tournaments that will help them get over the line, to give us the best chance of winning a trophy in the men’s World Cup.
“We feel we’ve done that. We feel delighted that Thomas has joined us.”
Tuchel explains ‘shared vision’ with FA
Tuchel says he and the FA have a ‘shared vision’ for the national team and that he always wanted to return to coaching in England.
He said: “They made it clear it’s about football and that got me excited. I wasn’t sure this was the job for me because the schedule is very different. I always wanted to come back to England, that was my big goal.
“The offer came at the right time and we found a vision to share. Now I have to live up to it. I know there are some trophies and I want to help that happen.”
Tuchel on Southgate’s tenure
“Gareth Southgate and the FA did a fantastic job.” said Thomas Tuchel when speaking about his predecessor.
“Look at the results of the tournaments. The youth teams win titles and the women’s team. We are there. The federation is there. We will build on what Gareth built and add a little extra to get it over the line.”
Thomas Tuchel unveiled as new England manager
Will Tuchel sing the national anthem?
Lee Carsley was given a shock by the response to his decision not to sing the national anthem when he took up the interim manager’s role. Thomas Tuchel is asked whether he will sing it.
He replied: “I understood from Mark [Bullingham] it is a personal decision, there were some who sang and others didn’t. I have not made my decision yet.
“Your anthem is very moving. I have experienced it here at Wembley in the FA Cup final. Either way, I will show respect to a very moving anthem.I will always show my respect to the new role and the country.”
Tuchel ‘unsure’ about international football
The new England boss admitted that he was unsure about making the jump to international football and whether it would be right for him.
He agreed with the FA about many things about the role and that he always wanted to return to English football after leaving Chelsea in September 2022.
He says “there are a few trophies missing” from the FA cabinet and he will aim to change this.
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