OFFICIAL: Tuchel announced as new England manager

Jacque Talbot

• Updated: 17 Oct 2024 10:35 BST
• 5 min read

Thomas Tuchel has been officially announced as the new manager of England, the Football Association has confirmed.

The German reached a deal with the Football Association after it became apparent he was the frontrunner for the role. When he begins his job in January, he will be taking over in a formal capacity from Gareth Southgate, who led the nation to two finals at major tournaments but ultimately lost.

The appointment of Tuchel marks England's third permanent foreign manager, following Sven-Goran Eriksson and Fabio Capello. Southgate resigned from the position after losing the Euro 2024 final to Spain over the summer.

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Former Everton player Lee Carsley was placed in charge on an interim basis but subsequently made it clear that he would not be taking up the role permanently.

Mark Bullingham, the FA's chief executive, and technical director John McDermott approached Tuche last month and it's thought an agreement was reached on Monday.

Tuchel left Bayern Munich at the end of last season and was extensively linked to Erik ten Hag's job at Manchester United. He has had spells at Mainz, Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint Germain and Chelsea, too.

His trophy collection includes a Bundesliga title, a DFB-Pokal, two Ligue 1s, a Coupe de France, a Champions League, a UEFA Super Cup, and a FIFA Club World Cup.

The FA had also made contact with Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, who was initially open to the move with his current contract expiring in the summer.

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What was said about the appointment?

FA CEO Bullingham said: “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 the 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.

We’re delighted to announce that UEFA Champions League winner Thomas Tuchel is the new England senior men’s head coach and will be assisted by internationally renowned English coach Anthony Barry.

— The FA (@FA) October 16, 2024

“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.”

Thomas Tuchel said: “I am very proud to have been given the honour of leading the England team. 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.”

Anthony Barry said: “For any Englishman in football, working with the national team is the pinnacle and I didn’t hesitate when Thomas asked me to come and join him again. I know what a great place St. George’s Park is and how much of an advantage it gives our England teams, and the support it gives to coaches.

“This squad is very talented and have done so much to bring the country together, I look forward to meeting and working with them on this exciting project.”

What did Kane say about Tuchel?

Tuchel worked with England captain Harry Kane during his time at Bayern. The former Tottenham striker, who scored 44 goals in 45 games under Tuchel, gave him a glowing assessment.

"To be honest, I haven't heard anything specific about it yet. That's why I can't really comment on it until it's officially announced," Kane said to Sky Germany.

"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. I'm sure the FA will contact me when they know more about this issue."