FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Bundesliga - Bayern Munich v VfL Wolfsburg - Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany - May 12, 2024 Bayern Munich coach Thomas Tuchel looks on before the match REUTERS/Angelika Warmuth/File Photo
(Reuters) -German Thomas Tuchel was named head coach of the England national team on Wednesday, the third non-Englishman to hold one of the most prestigious and demanding roles in soccer.
The Football Association confirmed in a that the 51-year-old former Chelsea manager would take charge from January alongside his English assistant Anthony Barry.
"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," FA Chief Executive Mark Bullingham said in a statement.
Sweden's Sven-Goran Eriksson was the first foreign manager to lead England, from 2001-06 and Italian Fabio Capello was in the job from 2008-12.
England Under-21 coach Lee Carsley, who has been in temporary charge since the resignation of Gareth Southgate after England's defeat by Spain in the Euro 2024 final in July, will continue for the next two Nations League games.
Tuchel and Barry, who he worked alongside at Chelsea and Bayern Munich, will begin work on Jan. 1 ahead of the qualification campaign for the 2026 World Cup.
"I am very proud to have been given the honour of leading the England team," Tuchel, named FIFA and UEFA coach of the year in 2021, said in a statement.
"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."
The FA said several candidates had been interviewed for the job by Bullingham and men's technical director John McDermott but that the decision to appoint Tuchel and Barry was approved by the FA Board early last week.
It represents a shift in FA policy after an era of near misses under Englishman Southgate who progressed from the Under-21 boss to transform the fortunes of the national team.
England reached two European Championship finals and a World Cup semi-final under Southgate but fell short of delivering a first major trophy since the 1966 World Cup on home soil.
Until a shambolic 2-1 defeat by Greece at Wembley last week it seemed Carsley was a front-runner to replace Southgate on a full-time basis.
The FA had decided on Tuchel, however, a high-profile name regarded as one of the most progressive tacticians in the game, albeit a coach not afraid to ruffle feathers.
Tuchel replaced Frank Lampard at Chelsea in 2021 and a few months later led them to the Champions League title -- outwitting Manchester City's Pep Guardiola in the final.
He was sacked by Chelsea in 2022 and appointed as Bayern Munich coach in March 2023 in place of Julian Nagelsmann.
FORWARD THINKING
Tuchel's one full season in charge of the German giants was disappointing as Bayern finished third in the Bundesliga behind Bayer Leverkusen and VfB Stuttgart -- the first time they failed to win the title since 2011-12.
Tuchel built his reputation as a forward-thinking tactician in the Bundesliga after taking over from Juergen Klopp at Mainz 05 in 2009. When Klopp left Borussia Dortmund at the end of the 2014-15 campaign, Tuchel replaced him again, leading the team to German Cup success in 2017.
He joined Paris St Germain the following year, winning back-to-back French league titles and taking them to the Champions League final in 2020.
Tuchel's task with England will be to mould a supremely-gifted squad featuring the likes of Harry Kane, who he managed at Bayern last season, Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden, Declan Rice and Cole Palmer, into a team that can deliver on the biggest stage.
"Working closely with Anthony as my assistant coach, we will do everything we can to make England successful and the supporters proud," Tuchel said. "I am looking forward to starting our journey together."
(Additional reporting by Simon Jennings in Bengaluru, editing by Ed Osmond)
