Tuchel reacts to backlash after becoming England's third foreign boss

England’s new manager Thomas Tuchel confidently vowed to win over his critics on Wednesday, apologising for having a German passport but saying he would have a ‘British edge’ after the FA’s show of faith.

Tuchel will take over on New Year’s Day after beating nine other candidates to the job and signing an 18-month contract. His target is winning the 2026 World Cup in North America.

Asked if he had a message for those who have slammed his appointment, Tuchel said with a smile: ‘I am sorry I just have a German passport but maybe the supporters can feel my passion for the Premier League, my passion for the country, how I love to live and work here.

‘I will do everything to show respect to this role and to this country. This is the biggest one in world football and everybody can be assured, no matter what nationality my passport says.

‘Everyone has their opinion. Even if someone says, “I would fancy an English coach more for the English team”, I can understand it. But I think we deserve a fair chance. We deserve the credit for having a good record in the country, for never being shy of how much we love to live in the country.

‘Maybe this counts a little bit for a British edge on my German passport. So we will try to convince them by results and the way we play. It starts for us in January. We will dive in.’

Asked if he would sing the national anthem as England manager, Tuchel replied: ‘I understood from Mark (Bullingham, FA chief executive) that it’s a personal decision. I have not made my decision yet.

Read More

Thomas Tuchel not starting as England manager until January is baffling, writes IAN LADYMAN

‘Your anthem is very moving. I’ve experienced it several times here at Wembley.

‘No matter what decision I take, we have time until March. I will always show my respect to my new role, to the country and, of course, to a very moving anthem. As this is a new subject, I will take a bit of time.’

Tuchel will be assisted by Anthony Barry, the Englishman who worked with him at Chelsea and Bayern Munich. The FA interviewed 10 candidates for the managerial vacancy, some of whom were English. Sitting alongside Tuchel, Bullingham refused to reveal any names as he said: ‘Clearly some were more up for the role than others. We were absolutely delighted to end up with Thomas and we believe he gives us the best chance of winning the World Cup.’

Tuchel also spoke of wanting to add a ‘second star on the shirt’, or second World Cup triumph, saying at the start of his unveiling: ‘I just had the chance to read a quote from Pele here who said that “Wembley is the heart and the capital and the cathedral of football”, and he was absolutely right.’

Be the first to commentBe one of the first to commentComments
What's your thoughts on Tuchel managing England's national team?
Comment now

Asked if the 2026 World Cup is ‘win or bust’, given the length of his contract, Tuchel said: ‘I don’t know, it depends. Let’s judge it when we have done it. If we decide it was a failure, then we will not continue. If we decide it was not a failure, then we will continue. Let’s see. No one can predict the future.’

Interim boss Lee Carsley will continue to oversee England, including in next month’s Nations League fixtures, until Tuchel takes over. Quizzed on why he will only start in January, Bullingham stepped in to answer on the German’s behalf as he explained: ‘We always said to Lee he would have three camps and we were very clear he’d run the Nations League campaign.

‘When we first spoke to Thomas he wanted to have a singular focus on the World Cup so it made sense on both sides.’

Asked if Harry Kane would continue as England’s captain, after Tuchel fought hard to make sure Bayern Munich signed him from Tottenham in 2023, the German said: ‘He is already on his way to being a legend in English football. But now I think it is very important to give respect to Lee so he can take his decisions free of me interfering.’