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Thomas Tuchel is on the brink of becoming England manager, and could even be unveiled by the end of this week.
An agreement on main terms comes after swift talks between the German coach and the Football Association from the weekend, with the 51-year-old’s interest increasing after it became clear that Manchester United were not yet going to move on Erik ten Hag.
Tuchel will consequently become the third foreign England manager, and the third different county represented, after Sweden’s Sven-Goran Eriksson and Italy’s Fabio Capello. While that element may bring debate from traditionalists in English football, especially given the nature of the football rivalry with Germany, the FA’s sole focus is bringing this era to fruition and winning the 2026 World Cup.
The fact that tournament is mostly taking place in the United States is also understood to have had some influence on the thought process, given that this is set to be the most commercially lucrative international competition in history.
Tuchel does represent a “box-office” name but he has primarily been selected because he fits exactly what the FA want from the football.
The German is able to marry sophisticated modern tactics with tournament-suited pragmatism, and knows many of the players from his time at Chelsea. He is also very close to captain Harry Kane from their season together at Bayern Munich, with Tuchel having pushed for the transfer in the summer of 2023.
It was his time at Chelsea that ensured Tuchel fast became an “anglophile”, however, and he has long been keen to work in the country again. The national team was consequently seen as a perfect appointment, as he immediately eyes adding the World Cup to his 2021 Champions League medal with Chelsea.
The appointment is seen as no reflection on Lee Carsley, who impressed in the job in terms of the football, and is seen by the FA’s technical staff as a potential appointment for the future.
There has also been gratitude at how the interim has handled questions on the future, even if that did lead to public contradictions over whether he actually wanted the job. That is much more understandable now, as England have made a statement appointment.
The FA did not respond to questions about the process, which has been conducted in notable secrecy. Although Pep Guardiola had previously been the main candidate, he is expected to give Manchester City one more year. The FA meanwhile did not want to wait indefinitely, and pressed ahead once Tuchel responded positively to overtures made at the start of the season.