Thomas Tuchel: England appoint former Chelsea, Bayern Munich manager to replace Gareth Southgate - 'A huge privilege'
Updated 16/10/2024 at 16:15 GMT+1
Thomas Tuchel will become the next England manager, the Football Association has confirmed. The 51-year-old German becomes the third non-British permanent manager of The Three Lions after the late Sven-Goran Eriksson and Fabio Capello. Following the announcement on Wednesday morning, Tuchel said in a statement: “I am very proud to have been given the honour of leading the England team."
Tuchel 'very excited and honoured' to be England head coach
Video credit: SNTV
The English FA has officially unveiled Thomas Tuchel as the next England manager, with the former Chelsea boss succeeding Gareth Southgate.
England have been without a permanent head coach since Southgate’s resignation in July, following his side’s Euro 2024 final defeat at the hands of Spain.
The 51-year-old German will take over from interim boss Lee Carsley in January next year, following the UEFA Nations League group stage next month.
English coach Anthony Barry, who has had spells as assistant manager with the Republic of Ireland, Belgium and Portugal, has been named as Tuchel's assistant.
The pair will be reunited after working together at Chelsea and Bayern Munich, where they won four trophies.
Tuchel got the job after the FA, led by CEO Mark Bullingham and men’s technical director John McDermott, interviewed several candidates, with the German identified as the preferred appointment and putting pen to paper this week.
Tuchel said he is "proud" to become the next England manager, calling the honour a "huge privilege".
“I am very proud to have been given the honour of leading the England team," he said in a statement. "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.
“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 Mark and John, for their trust and I am looking forward to starting our journey together.”
- 'Next best in line after Guardiola' - Honigstein sees new England boss Tuchel as good fit
- Portugal held to goalless draw in Scotland but remain top of Nations League group
Tuchel returns to English football after a successful spell at Chelsea, where he led The Blues to UEFA Champions League glory in 2020/21, before being dismissed at the beginning of the 2022/23 season, shortly after the arrival of new owners Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital.
The 51-year-old then had a year-long stint with Bundesliga club Bayern Munich, where he initially led the Bavarians to an 11th consecutive league title, before a second-placed finish the following season.
/origin-imgresizer.tntsports.io/2024/10/16/4051809-82173833-2560-1440.jpg)
'Excited' Tuchel aims to 'build' on Southgate's work as he takes over England
Video credit: SNTV
He also took Bayern to the semi-finals of last season's Champions League, where they lost to eventual winners Real Madrid.
Tuchel was named the men's UEFA coach of the year for his success at Chelsea in 2020/21. His list of honours also includes a German Cup title with Borussia Dortmund in 2016–2017 and two Ligue 1 titles with Paris Saint-Germain in 2018/19 and 2019/20.
/origin-imgresizer.tntsports.io/2024/10/15/4051660-82170853-2560-1440.jpg)
Honigstein: Big name and a proven winner, Tuchel is a good fit for England
Video credit: TNT Sports
Bullingham added: “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."
Bullingham also thanked Carsley, who has overseen three wins and a defeat in his four Nations League matches in charge, for leading the side on an interim basis.
“I would like to thank Lee for stepping up and doing everything we asked of him – he is a very talented coach and a major part of our England pathway.
"He will now focus on retaining the U21 Euro title in the summer. These are exciting times for England fans at senior and MU21 level, and we look forward to welcoming Thomas and Anthony when they begin work in January.”
Tuchel and Barry will begin work on 1 January 2025 ahead of qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals in Canada, Mexico and the USA.
TNT Sports will show over 500 matches from the UEFA Champions League, the UEFA Europa League and the UEFA Conference League across the 2024/25 season. The streaming home for TNT Sports in the UK is discovery+, where fans can enjoy a subscription that includes TNT Sports, Eurosport and entertainment in one destination.
Related Topics
Thoughts?
Advertisement
Advertisement