Thomas Tuchel prepares to lead the England national team in just his second camp, but the German offered insight ahead of their World Cup qualifier against Andorra why he chose the job over Manchester United.
Following Erik ten Hag's sacking in October 2024, Tuchel was among the favourites considered for the job. He was known to be keen on a return to England, having enjoyed his time at the helm of Chelsea, but surprised many when he became the national team coach instead.
Ahead of the Andorra match, Tuchel was asked how England managed to convince him to reject the chance to take over at Old Trafford.
“The idea and the way John [McDermott] and Mark [Bullingham] presented it was very fast and confidential,” Tuchel explained.
“It was very straightforward, it was a decision for this job and not against anything else. They made it clear it's about football and that got me excited. I wasn’t sure this was the job for me because the schedule is very different. I always wanted to come back to England, that was my big goal. The offer came at the right time and we found a vision to share. Now I have to live up to it. I know there are some trophies and I want to help that happen.”
It's not a matter of different expectations or pressure, either. Both jobs, at the times of their openings, were highly pressurised given extenuating circumstances. Ten Hag had won a domestic cup in his first two seasons as Man Utd boss, but poor league form and overall performances pushed Sir Jim Ratcliffe to make a decision on the Dutchman’s future. Ruben Amorim was eventually brought in to succeed Ten Hag, but the club continues to struggle.
On the England side, Gareth Southgate’s successor would be tasked with getting an immensely talented squad over the line. Back-to-back runner-up finishes in the delayed 2020 and 2024 Euros highlighted England's potential. Yet, when it mattered most, Southgate came up just short.
Tuchel was victorious in his first two games, defeating Albania and Latvia with his team scoring five goals across both matches with two clean sheets. The German earned praise for handing Arsenal youngster Myles Lewis-Skelly his senior debut, becoming the youngest scorer on his maiden outing.
The German has the experience of managing talent within the national squad during his time at Chelsea and Bayern Munich as well, which likely played a part in the courting process. Tuchel is the third foreign boss to lead the Three Lions after Sven-Göran Eriksson and Fabio Capello. His contract runs through the 2026 World Cup, where he’s expected to not only improve on a quarter-final exit, but get England over the line.
