Thomas Tuchel relishing ‘one-of-a-kind experience’ of English football again

Thomas Tuchel cannot wait to sample the “one-of-a-kind experience” of English football again as he hopes to win hearts and minds, as well as the World Cup.

The 51-year-old German’s appointment as England head coach on an 18-month contract through to the 2026 finals was confirmed on Wednesday, with his official start date set as January 1 next year.

His first press conference included an apology to the sceptics about his German passport, with Tuchel only the third overseas manager the England men’s team have had, as well as a pledge to make a decision before his first game in March about whether or not to sing the national anthem.

Tuchel is already won over by English football after his stint at Chelsea, which included arguably his greatest achievement when he won the 2021 Champions League title.

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He will be based in England, with occasional trips home to visit his family in Germany, and is itching to throw himself back into everything his new adopted country has to offer.

“It’s the humour, it’s the way of life,” he said when asked why he liked English football so much.

“It’s the attitude from the supporters to the game and what they demand from the players. It shapes the character of the players, how they live their expression, how they approach their training towards a team effort. For me, it was a one-of-a-kind experience. To breathe that again is a big privilege.”

The Football Association identified Tuchel, who has been out of work since leaving Bayern Munich at the end of last season, as the best man for the job out of “approximately 10” candidates it interviewed.

His nationality is set to be a stick for his critics to beat him with should things not go according to plan, but Tuchel is determined to win people over.

“I’m sorry, I have a German passport,” he said at Wembley on Wednesday.

“Everyone has their opinion and I can understand when someone says ‘I would fancy an English coach for an English team’.

“I think we deserve a fair chance and the credit for having a good record in the country and never being shy of how much we love the country and love working with the players in the Premier League.

“Maybe this counts towards a British edge on my German passport. We will try to convince (sceptics) with results and the way we play.

“Hopefully I can convince them and prove to them I am proud to be an England manager and do everything to show respect to this role and this country.”

The subject of the national anthem was raised for the second time in as many months.

Interim boss Lee Carsley, a former Republic of Ireland international with an Irish grandmother, faced similar questions when he stepped up from the under-21s to take charge for the Nations League matches in September and chose not to sing.

“I understand it is a personal decision, there are managers who sing and some who don’t,” said Tuchel.

“I have not made my decision yet. No matter what decision I take I will always show my respect to the country, and to a very moving anthem.”

Tuchel will have to adapt to the change of pace involved in coaching a national team rather than a club, and insists it will be important not to “overcomplicate” tactics when his time with his players will be so limited.

He also said he would need to balance getting results with imposing an attractive style of play.

“Normally, I love the two or three days before a match to prepare and do training session,” he said.

“We will heavily rely on that because we don’t have much training time and that’s why it is maybe important to have clear messages and to not overcomplicate, and to find a clear structure where we can demand certain things from the players and where we can also show their full potential.

“My job to find this structure and then demand it from the players. I think we cannot only focus on the results (and) we cannot hide behind the certain style of play which does not give us results. It has to go hand in hand.”

Tuchel will also be conscious when selecting squads not to “overload” his players, with the Club World Cup next summer leaving little time for an off-season before the 2025-26 season kicks off, ending of course with the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

“If you look at the schedule and we hear the voices of the players, and I think they have a reason (to complain),” he said.

“The schedule, to end the season with the Champions League final, then go to an international break, then have the Club World Cup is a very, very demanding schedule for the players. And now it’s a new perspective for me. I’m glad to have it. It will help me to become a better coach.

“We will take this into account when we do our nomination (call-ups) to not overload the players, but also respect our target to build the strongest group possible to go to America.”