LONDON - Former Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has signed a contract to become the new England coach, it was widely reported by British media on Oct 15.

The Football Association’s chief executive Mark Bullingham will host a news conference at Wembley on Oct 16, when the 51-year-old German’s appointment is expected to be confirmed.

Tuchel will become the third foreign manager to take charge of England but the first from Germany, England’s arch-rival on the football pitch. Sweden’s Sven-Goran Eriksson and Italian Fabio Capello also held the post.

Known for his progressive football, Tuchel replaced Frank Lampard at Chelsea in January 2021 and led them to the Champions League title that season, beating Manchester City in the final.

Lee Carsley, England’s Under-21 manager, has been in temporary charge since the resignation of Gareth Southgate after England’s defeat by Spain in the Euro 2024 final in July.

Carsley had looked the favourite to land the role on a full-time basis but a shambolic home defeat by Greece in the Nations League on Oct 10 appears to have undermined his chances.

Manchester City’s serial title winner Pep Guardiola was also reported to be in the mix but the FA has opted for Tuchel, who has been out of work since leaving Bayern Munich at the end of last season.

Forward thinking

Bayern Munich finished third in the German Bundesliga, behind Bayer Leverkusen and VfB Stuttgart – the first time they failed to win the title since 2011-12.

Tuchel built his reputation as a forward-thinking tactician in the Bundesliga after taking over from Juergen Klopp at Mainz 05 in 2009.

When Klopp left Borussia Dortmund at the end of the 2014-15 campaign, Tuchel also replaced him there, leading the team to German Cup success in 2017.

He joined Paris St Germain the following year, replacing Unai Emery and winning back-to-back French league titles. Tuchel also took PSG to their first Champions League final in 2020, which they lost to Bayern, before leaving for Chelsea.

Tuchel was unbeaten in his first 14 matches for Chelsea in all competitions – a club record – and took them to Champions League glory against City.

His time at Bayern was mixed and he will now be tasked with finally getting England over the line in major competitions after several near-misses under Southgate.

England, who have not won anything since the 1966 World Cup, reached a World Cup semi-final and two European Championship finals under Southgate but fell just short despite boasting a squad full of world-class talent.

Southgate’s tactics often came under fire with many labelling him too conservative, and Tuchel’s task will be to harness the full attacking potential of the likes of Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and England’s record scorer Harry Kane.

He will also have to deal with the intense scrutiny that comes with one of the most challenging jobs in football.

According to British media reports, the FA informally reached out to Manchester City boss Guardiola at the start of the season. Guardiola’s contract expires at the end of the current campaign.

Carsley was hesitant when asked if he was interested in the permanent position, repeatedly saying his remit was to guide the team through six Nations League games.

He appeared to distance himself from the position after Sunday’s 3-1 win over Finland, when he said the job “deserves a world-class coach that has won trophies”.

Source: Reuters