Thomas Tuchel was appointed as the head coach of the England national team on Wednesday, tasked with the goal of breaking the country’s lengthy trophy drought. The German coach, who has previously led Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Bayern Munich will start his role in January in preparation for the 2026 World Cup in the United States.
The Football Association Chief Executive Mark Bullingham said in a statement, “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.”
The Football Association Board made the decision to recruit Tuchel and Barry at the beginning of last week, with Tuchel finalising his contract on Tuesday, October 8. The announcement was postponed to lessen distractions during the recently concluded international camp. The duo will start their roles on January 1, 2025 in preparation for the qualification process for the upcoming FIFA World Cup finals scheduled to take place in Canada, Mexico and the USA.
Tuchel has an impressive record of coaching achievements, including league championships in both France and Germany, securing titles twice with Paris Saint-Germain and most recently with Bayern Munich during the 2022-23 season following his first major success in 2017 when he led Borussia Dortmund to win the German Cup. Furthermore, Tuchel was honoured as UEFA and FIFA’s coach of the year in 2021 in recognition of his achievements in England.
Tuchel will reconnect with Barry having collaborated with the Englishman at Chelsea and Bayern where they collectively secured four trophies across both teams. Barry, who hails from Liverpool and holds a UEFA Pro licence, brings substantial international experience, having worked with Belgium and Portugal during the 2022 FIFA World Cup and UEFA EURO 2024 respectively.
Thomas Tuchel stated, “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.”
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Anthony Barry added to Tochels statement, “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 has done so much to bring the country together, I look forward to meeting and working with them on this exciting project.”
Response to Criticism for being A German Coach
There has been a lot of discussion regarding the England national team appointing a German coach, and some unfavourable headlines in the British media have drawn criticism from supporters. When Tuchel was asked about his response to those who believe the Three Lions should have an English manager, Tuchel chuckled and said,
“Sorry! I just have a German passport but I can just tell them – maybe all of these supporters also felt my passion for the English Premier League, my passion for the country, how I love to live here and how I love to work here. My memories are on the highest level. That played a huge role. Hopefully, I can convince them and show them and prove to them that I’m proud to be the English manager. I will do everything to show respect to this role and to this country. The target for the next 18 months is nothing else, the biggest one in world football. Everyone can be assured of that no matter what nationality my passport is.”
