Thomas Tuchel
The German coach, Thomas Tuchel, is set to be officially introduced later this week. Tuchel quickly emerged as the leading candidate for the position after expressing interest in the job. The search for a new manager began after Gareth Southgate stepped down at the end of Euro 2024. Interim management of the team was handled by Lee Carsley, who guided the Three Lions through the Nations League. However, Carsley confirmed he would not be taking on the role permanently following last week’s defeat to Greece and Sunday’s victory over Finland.
Tuchel became the top choice after being approached by Mark Bullingham, the FA’s chief executive, and technical director John McDermott last month. The FA is reportedly planning a press conference this week, likely to announce Thomas Tuchel as the new manager. Tuchel’s previous experience includes managing Mainz, Borussia Dortmund, PSG, and Chelsea, where he led the Blues to four cup finals, winning the Champions League, before being sacked in September 2022. He also guided Dortmund to the DFB-Pokal in 2017, PSG to two Ligue 1 titles, and Bayern to the Bundesliga title in 2023. His impressive CV underlines his capability to work with top players, which the FA hopes will transition England from beaten finalists in the last two Euros to winners in major tournaments.
The FA had also approached Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola in the summer; however, he has not yet responded, and it is widely believed he will remain at the Etihad for another year. This led to an accelerated pursuit of Tuchel, with the German coach traveling to London for talks. Carsley is expected to return to managing the under-21s. The World Cup draw takes place in Geneva on Friday, December 13, with the new manager expected to oversee the qualifying campaign. It remains uncertain whether Tuchel will manage England’s final Nations League games next month. The German already has the backing of England skipper Harry Kane, who previously played under him at Bayern. Kane scored 44 goals in 45 games with Tuchel, commending him as a “fantastic coach.”
[Harry Kane] said “I haven’t heard anything specific about it yet. We’ll have to wait and see what happens. I obviously know Thomas very well from the last year. He’s a fantastic coach and a fantastic person.”
[Lee Carsley] told ITV “I’ve not really thought much about it. I keep saying the same thing. My remit was six games and I’m happy with that. This is a privileged position. I’m really enjoying it but I didn’t enjoy the last two days. I’m not used to losing in an England team, I don’t take losing well. People are always going to try and put their chips on one side. I’m in the middle. My bosses have made it clear what they need from me. This job deserves a world-class coach who has won trophies and I am still on the path to that.”
