The FA have confirmed the appointment of former Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel as England manager.
Tuchel has signed an 18-month contract and will start on Jan. 1, 2025, tasked with winning the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico in 2026. The 51-year-old will be assisted by ex-Chelsea and Bayern Munich coach Anthony Barry. Tuchel succeeds Gareth Southgate, who stepped down in July after eight years in charge following the disappointing defeat by Spain in the final of Euro 2024.
The German has been out of work since leaving Bayern Munich at the end of the 2023-24 season after a much-publicised falling out with the Bundesliga club’s hierarchy. The FA first contacted him over the summer and this week agreed a deal worth £5million per year. Tuchel becomes the third foreign England manager after Sven-Goran Eriksson and Fabio Capello.
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The FA have also confirmed that interim manager Lee Carsley will remain in charge for England’s decisive Nations League matches away to Greece and at home to the Republic of Ireland in November. Carsley stepped up from the under-21s role following Southgate’s departure but has missed out on the full-time job after sending mixed messages about whether he wanted to be considered. He’ll return to his role as the U21’s head coach in January.
Tuchel, who won the Champions League with Chelsea in 2021, said: “I am very proud to have been given the honor 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 [Bullingham] and John [McDermott], for their trust and I am looking forward to starting our journey together.”
Thomas Tuchel won the Champions League with Chelsea in 2021 (
POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Tuchel flew into London this week to hold further talks with FA technical director McDermott and agreed to take the job on Tuesday afternoon. He’s highly regarded by the FA, who are desperate to turn the near-misses under Southgate into silverware.
Southgate twice led the Three Lions to the final of the European Championship, only to fall at the final hurdle in agonizing defeats against Italy (2021) and Spain (2024). Tuchel has won trophies with Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain, and famously led Chelsea to victory over Manchester City in the Champions League final within four months of taking over.
The FA contacted City boss Pep Guardiola to gauge his interest in the role but moved on to Tuchel after the Treble-winning manager was unable to give them an answer. Guardiola is out of contract with City at the end of this season but there’s a feeling that he’ll sign a new deal with the reigning Premier League champions.
FA CEO Bullingham added: “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 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.
“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.”
Barry, who’s currently assistant to Portugal manager Roberto Martinez, also 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 has done so much to bring the country together, I look forward to meeting and working with them on this exciting project.”
Tuchel returns to England just over two years after being sacked by Chelsea, again due to a falling out with the club’s hierarchy. He has a track record of disagreements with executives and of burning bridges upon his departure.
Tuchel hasn’t spent longer than two full years at a club since a five-year stint with Mainz that ended in 2014, and has fallen out with those above him at Dortmund, PSG, Chelsea and Bayern. He’ll face the media during a press conference which begins at 1:30pm on Wednesday.
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