Former Chelsea manager, Thomas Tuchel, has been officially named as the new head coach of the England national football team, as confirmed by the Football Association on Wednesday.
The 51-year-old German tactician is set to assume his new role on January 1, 2025. In the meantime, interim head coach Lee Carsley will continue to lead the team during the upcoming UEFA Nations League matches against Greece and the Republic of Ireland.
Tuchel’s appointment marks the conclusion of an extensive search conducted by FA chief executive Mark Bullingham and technical director John McDermott, which began in July after Gareth Southgate stepped down following England’s loss to Spain in the Euro 2024 final.
In a statement reflecting on his new role, Tuchel expressed his excitement, “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.”
Alongside Tuchel, Anthony Barry will serve as his assistant. The duo first collaborated at Chelsea, where Tuchel later persuaded Barry to join him at Bayern Munich in April 2023.
At just 38, Barry brings a wealth of experience, having previously worked with the Belgium and Republic of Ireland national teams and most recently as part of Roberto Martinez’s staff with Portugal.
Tuchel commented on their partnership, stating, “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.”
The FA considers Tuchel’s hiring a significant achievement, as they aimed to recruit a candidate with a strong history of success in the Premier League and international competitions.
Tuchel boasts an impressive record, having won 11 major trophies, including the prestigious UEFA Champions League with Chelsea in 2021.
At Chelsea, he worked closely with several England internationals, such as Reece James, Ben Chilwell, and Mason Mount, the latter of whom recently transferred to Manchester United.
Additionally, he had the opportunity to coach England’s captain, Harry Kane, at Bayern Munich before his departure last season.
Sources have indicated that the FA explored various candidates, including Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola, during their selection process. Notably, Tuchel officially signed his contract on October 8, 2024.
Bullingham expressed enthusiasm over the appointment, stating, “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.”
He continued, “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.”
Bullingham concluded with optimism for the future, “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 both senior and U21 levels, and we look forward to welcoming Thomas and Anthony when they begin work in January.”
