Thomas Tuchel press conference LIVE: New England manager says ‘I’m sorry I have a German passport’ | OneFootball

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Thomas Tuchel set to be appointed England manager

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 appointed as England manager

Thomas Tuchel unveiled as new England manager

(The FA via Getty Images)

(The FA via Getty Images)

(The FA via Getty Images)

Mike Jones16 October 2024 17:10

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.

Mike Jones16 October 2024 17:00

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

Mike Jones16 October 2024 16:50

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.”

Mike Jones16 October 2024 16:40

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.”

Mike Jones16 October 2024 16:13

England boss Thomas Tuchel says German passport will not stand in way of success

New England boss Thomas Tuchel apologised for having a German passport but insisted he was ready to prove wrong the critics who are against a foreign coach taking charge.

The 51-year-old, who said he has not yet decided whether he would sing the national anthem, has signed an 18-month contract and stressed his focus was to get over the line in a major tournament after several near-misses under predecessor Gareth Southgate.

Tuchel, who has previously managed Borussia Dortmund, Paris St Germain, Chelsea and Bayern Munich, is the third non-Englishman to hold the post after Sven-Goran Eriksson and Fabio Capello.

England boss Thomas Tuchel says German passport will not stand in way of success

The 51-year-old will succeed Gareth Southgate.

Mike Jones16 October 2024 16:07

Lineker on whether Tuchel can win the World Cup

Gary Lineker said: “It is just one last step isn’t it? They made a couple of finals under Gareth Southgate so were knocking on the door.

“There is no question that England have the quality needed to challenge for trophies and the upcoming World Cup. They have the ability throughout.

“Sometimes if you keep knocking on the door then it might just open, and I have no doubt it will with this England squad. Whether that is in 18 months’ time or over three years that remains to be seen. It is just about belief so hopefully Tuchel can instil that in them. They should have that because they are so talented.

“He will have difficulties and problems because sometimes having that much talent can be an issue for you. He is going to have to try and keep super high-quality players happy when they are not always playing as he can’t play them all.

“But he is very demanding and driven. He has very good tactical acumen. There is no question that England will be one of the favourites going into the next World Cup.”

Mike Jones16 October 2024 16:00

Neville ‘disappointed’ for English coaches

Gary Neville also explained that the appointment of Thomas Tuchel speaks of a failing at St. George’s Park to properly prepare and promote English coaches at home and in Europe.

He acknowledged that Tuchel is a great coach but admitted to being disappointed that there wasn’t an equally great English coach available to replace Gareth Southgate.

Neville told Sky Sports: “There is an element of disappointment in my head thinking about the fact that the FA have gone to an international coach.

“I was a sceptic of St. George’s Park, I was with England under Roy Hodgson when England moved there. I was worried whether it would succeed or not. What you can’t deny over the last seven or eight years is the relative success of the England teams right the way through the youth teams to the women’s team to the men’s team getting to two finals which hasn’t happened for 50/60 years.

“If we’re not going to promote English coaches in out own country then we can’t ask anybody to promote English coaching either in the Premier League or leagues around Europe. It’s been a difficult time for English coaches over a 15-20 year period to try and gain some reputational success in Europe.

“I think Gareth [Southgate] restored a bit of faith, not just in English coaching but in English players. What the FA have done doesn’t feel like a strategic decision, it feels like an instinctive one. Thomas Tuchel has been available for months and there was no need to appoint an interim in Lee Carsley if they want Tuchel months ago.”