The 51-year-old will be assisted by ex-Chelsea and Bayern Munich coach Anthony Barry. Tuchel succeeds Gareth Southgate, who stepped down in July after eight years in charge following the disappointing defeat by Spain in the final of Euro 2024.
The German has been out of work since leaving Bayern Munich at the end of the 2023-24 season after a much-publicised falling out with the Bundesliga club's hierarchy. The FA first contacted him over the summer and this week agreed a deal worth £5million per year.
Tuchel becomes the third foreign England manager after Sven-Goran Eriksson and Fabio Capello. The FA have also confirmed that interim manager Lee Carsley will remain in charge for England's decisive Nations League matches away to Greece and at home to the Republic of Ireland in November.
Carsley stepped up from the under-21s role following Southgate's departure but has missed out on the full-time job after sending mixed messages about whether he wanted to be considered. He'll return to his role as the U21's head coach in January, reports the Mirror .
Thomas Tuchel, following his historic Champions League triumph with Chelsea in 2021, expressed his delight at being appointed England manager: "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. 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 [Bullingham] and John [McDermott], for their trust and I am looking forward to starting our journey together."
The ex-Chelsea boss, who lifted the prestigious Champions League trophy by defeating Manchester City, landed in London earlier this week to wrap up discussions with John McDermott, the FA's technical director. By Tuesday afternoon, Tuchel was confirmed for the top role.
His appointment comes after the FA's increasing intent to capture major titles, spurred by Gareth Southgate's near victories at the European Championships, where wrenching losses against Italy in 2021 and Spain in 2024 left England just short of glory.
Tuchel's reputation is bolstered by silverware from stints with Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain, and the swift Champions League success at Chelsea. Now it's time to voice your opinion on this new chapter for the Three Lions - get stuck into the conversation and tell us if you think Tuchel's the right choice for England!
In their quest for a new England manager, the Football Association initially reached out to Manchester City's boss Pep Guardiola. However, as Guardiola stalled, unable to commit due to his uncertain future at City – where his contract is set to expire but there are strong hints of an extension with the current Premier League holders – they shifted focus.
The FA settled on Thomas Tuchel, previously of PSG and Chelsea fame.
FA head honcho Bullingham couldn't contain his excitement: "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."
He detailed the rigorous hunt for the ideal candidate, which began well before the EUROs: "Before the EUROs we had a contingency plan and outlined exactly the qualities we would be looking for in a coach. 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."
"We fundamentally wanted to bring on board a coaching team that would give us the best possible shot at winning a major tournament, and we believe they will do just that. Thomas and his team are solely focused on giving us the best possible chance to lift the World Cup in 2026," was the statement from the England camp. "I would like to extend my gratitude to Lee for stepping up and delivering everything we asked of him – he is an incredibly skilled coach and a crucial part of our England pathway. He will now concentrate on retaining the U21 EURO title in the summer. These are thrilling times for England fans at both senior and MU21 level, and we eagerly await the arrival of Thomas and Anthony when they commence work in January."
Barry, currently serving as assistant to Portugal manager Roberto Martinez, also expressed his excitement: "For any Englishman in football, working with the national team is the pinnacle and I didn't hesitate when Thomas asked me to come and join him again."
He added, "I'm well aware of what a fantastic facility St. George's Park is and how much of an advantage it provides our England teams, not to mention the support it offers to coaches. This squad is immensely talented and has done so much to unite the country, I look forward to meeting and working with them on this exciting project."
Tuchel makes his return to England just over two years after being dismissed by Chelsea, once again due to a disagreement with the club's hierarchy. He has a history of disputes with executives and of leaving under a cloud.
Tuchel hasn't spent longer than two full years at a club since a five-year stint with Mainz that ended in 2014, and has had disagreements with those above him at Dortmund, PSG, Chelsea and Bayern. He'll face the media during a press conference which begins at 1:30pm on Wednesday.
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