England have their new manager. It has been confirmed by the Football Association that former Chelsea and Bayern Munich boss Thomas Tuchel has agreed a deal to succeed Gareth Southgate as Three Lions boss.
Southgate stepped down from the role after the final of this summer’s European Championship, which England lost 2-1 to Spain.
Tuchel was formally unveiled as England manager on 16th October at Wembley Stadium. In taking the England job, Tuchel becomes only the third non-British permanent manager of the England men’s team after Sven-Goran Eriksson and Fabio Capello.
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“We are thrilled to have hired Thomas Tuchel, one of the best coaches in the world,” said FA CEO Mark Bullingham.
“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,” he added.
Speaking about the appointment of the German, former England striker Alan Shearer called it a “bold move”.
Bold it most certainly is, but appointing Tuchel as England’s new manager also makes perfect sense. Here’s why…
1 He's a serial winner
For all their progress under Gareth Southgate, one thing England were never able to do under his tutelage was win a trophy. Luckily, Tuchel has plenty of experience in that area.
The 51-year-old has won trophies with all four of his previous clubs. While in charge of Borussia Dortmund, he guided the team to their first German Cup in five years, while at Paris Saint-Germain, he won back-to-back Ligue 1 titles, including a domestic treble in his second season.
Most famously, he later guided Chelsea to a Champions League triumph, before winning the Bundesliga with Bayern.
If England want to win another major trophy, they’ll need a winner in charge. Tuchel is certainly that.
2 Tuchel is a cup specialist
Knockout football is, of course, very different to domestic football.
Each game comes with more pressure, more stress, and generally, a bit more excitement – with players knowing that a single mistake can end their team’s run early, but a single moment of genius can make them a hero.
Tuchel is a master of knockout football and has overperformed with squads that weren’t necessarily among the favourites to succeed.
As mentioned, he won the German Cup with Dortmund and the Champions League with Chelsea – conceding just two goals in the knockout stages, having taken over from Frank Lampard mid-season.
He also took PSG to their first Champions League final, narrowly losing to future employers Bayern in the final.
And while his record at Wembley is not exactly incredible, Tuchel also reached three cup finals in England, while also bringing the Super Cup and Club World Cup to Stamford Bridge.
Season
Competition
Stage reached
2020/21
FA Cup
Final
2020/21
Champions League
Winners
2021/22
Super Cup
Winners
2021/22
Club World Cup
Winners
2021/22
League Cup
Final
2021/22
Champions League
Quarter-final
2021/22
FA Cup
Final
3 He's embraced England's football culture
The FA have generally appointed English managers in the past because they are, well, English. They speak the language and have experience of dealing with English players and clubs.
Yes, Tuchel is German, but he ticks both of those boxes nevertheless.
His English is near-perfect – if not perfect, full stop. This means he, unlike previous foreign England managers (looking at you, Fabio Capello), will be able to communicate with the players seamlessly.
Meanwhile, his time at Chelsea will have stood him in good stead when it comes to the FA giving him the job.
“He’s an avowed Anglophile,” German football reporter Raphael Honigstein told talkSPORT of Tuchel. “He loves English football, loves English players.”
Honigstein added: “For him, I think it’s a bit of a dream move. As I said, he has a real passion for English football.”
4 He can get the best out of Harry Kane
One of the English players Tuchel has experience of managing is Three Lions captain Harry Kane, who he brought to Bayern and was his leading man for the 2023/24 season – at least, before Tuchel left the club in April.
Under Tuchel, Kane scored 44 goals and provided 12 assists in just 45 games, scoring a goal every 89 minutes. That’s the best ratio the English striker has ever produced under any manager of his career.
Despite being England’s all-time record goalscorer, Kane has generally struggled to replicate the killer instincts he has shown for his clubs on the international stage – especially at big tournaments, with the ex-Spurs ace coming under fire during Euro 2024.
Tuchel got the best out of Kane at Bayern, so he can hopefully help him do the same for his country. Speaking about working with Kane in January 2024, Tuchel told bundesliga.com: “It’s just a gift, I feel very privileged to be his coach.”
5 Tuchel was the best available option
There has been a plethora of names linked with the England job since Southgate stepped down after Euro 2024.
Among those that were linked with the vacancy were Lee Carsley, who has stepped in as interim boss and will remain in charge for England’s next two games, along with Newcastle manager Eddie Howe and former Chelsea boss Graham Potter. Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp were also linked with the role.
Looking at that list of candidates alongside Tuchel, the German was, and is, the clear choice for the job, not only because of his credentials, but also his availability.
None of Carsley, Howe, or Potter have the same experience at the highest level as Tuchel, nor have they won the kind of trophies Tuchel has.
Guardiola and Klopp matched Tuchel in those departments, but with Guardiola still tied to Manchester City for another year and Jurgen Klopp having recently agreed to take a new job with Red Bull, Tuchel was arguably the only remaining, qualified candidate.
Former England defender Micah Richards agrees. “The point is we don’t have an English candidate strong enough to take that job, that’s one of the most interesting things,” he said on The Rest is Football podcast.
“I was of the opinion that we don’t need an English manager, just go out and get the best person for the job,” he added. “I think Tuchel is an outstanding manager, a proven winner.”
