Thomas Tuchel makes promise to England fans as FA explain appointment

Thomas Tuchel has become the third non-British manager of the England men’s football team after being confirmed as Gareth Southgate’s replacement by the FA.

The German, 51, was officially announced as the new England boss by FA chief Mark Bullingham at Wembley on Wednesday.

England have been without a permanent manager since Southgate resigned following the Euro 2024 final defeat to Spain.

Southgate’s temporary replacement, Lee Carsley, will remain in charge for England’s Nations League games against Greece and the Republic of Ireland in November before returning to his job with the U21 team.

Follow our blog for updates as Thomas Tuchel is announced as England manager

‘I am very proud to have been given the honour of leading the England team,’ said Tuchel, who will take over England from the start of 2025.

‘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 Barry 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.’

FA chief executive officer Bullingham added: ‘We are thrilled to have hired Thomas Tuchel, one of the best coaches in the world. 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.

‘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 when he begins work in January.’

The FA confirmed ‘internationally renowned English coach’ Anthony Barry, who worked under Tuchel at Chelsea and Bayern, would become the German’s assistant.

They also said Carsley would be returning to his role as England U21 manager following the upcoming Nations League games.

Tuchel, who has managed the likes of Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich and English club Chelsea, has signed an 18-month deal with the FA.

Presuming England qualify, Tuchel’s tenure will be evaluated after the 2026 World Cup, where the Three Lions will bid to end a 60-year wait for a trophy in the United States.

If England fail to win the World Cup, Tuchel will at least hope to impress enough to get a shot at Euro 2028, which will take place in England, the Republic of Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

Tuchel is the third non-British manager of the England’s men’s team following Fabio Capello and the late Sven-Goran Eriksson.

The highlight of his managerial career thus far came in 2021 when he won the Champions League with Chelsea, beating Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City in the final.

Tuchel has also lifted trophies in Germany and France, winning league titles with Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain.

England largely impressed under Southgate, reaching back-to-back European Championship finals and going deep at two World Cups.

But Southgate’s England were still unable to end the nation’s wait for a trophy, losing to Italy on penalties in the Euro 2020 final and suffering a 2-1 defeat to Spain in last summer’s showpiece event.

Who has Thomas Tuchel managed?

A former professional football who was forced to retire at the age of 25 due to injury, Tuchel began his coaching career in 2000 as a youth coach at German side Stuttgart.

Tuchel then spent five years at Mainz before taking over from Jurgen Klopp at Borussia Dortmund, where he won the German Cup while challenging for the Bundesliga title.

The German lifted two league titles and two domestic cups at his next club PSG and also took the French giants to the Champions League final in 2020, where his team lost 1-0 to Bayern Munich.

Tuchel spent less than two years at Chelsea but won three trophies during that time, including the Champions League in 2021.

The Blues were sixth in the Premier League when they decided to sack Tuchel, who had reportedly lost the confidence of the squad and the new Stamford Bridge owners.

Tuchel’s last managerial role was with Bayern Munich, where he won the Bundesliga in 2022-23 but left 12 months later after failing to win the league title for the first time in over a decade.

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