Thomas Tuchel is likely to become the next head coach of England, as many reports in the English media say he is set to be announced as Gareth Southgate’s replacement.
The Champions League-winning coach has been without a job since leaving Bayern Munich at the end of last season.
The BBC and other British media reported on Tuesday that he has agreed to take the England position, making him the third non-English coach in this role, after Sven-Goran Eriksson and Fabio Capello.
Sky Germany reported that he has accepted an 18-month contract and will start in January. The English Football Association has not yet made an official announcement.
“Until it’s announced obviously I can’t really comment, but we have to wait and see,” said England captain Harry Kane, who worked with Tuchel at Bayern, when speaking to Sky Sports. “Obviously, I know Thomas well from last year. Fantastic coach, fantastic person, so I am sure the guys at the FA will contact me when they know more about it.”
Tuchel is familiar to English fans for leading Chelsea to the Champions League title in 2021, defeating Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City in the final. He also won the UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup while at the Premier League club.
A proven winner, Tuchel claimed two French league titles with Paris Saint-Germain and the German title with Bayern.
Southgate stepped down as England manager after losing in the final of this summer’s European Championship. He took the team to back-to-back Euros finals and reached the semifinals of the World Cup in 2018.
England Under-21 coach Lee Carsley took over temporarily after Southgate’s departure and was considered a candidate for the permanent position. However, Carsley seemed to distance himself from the role last week, stating that England deserved a “world-class coach.”
Tuchel fits that description, having managed some of the biggest clubs in Europe.
He also meets the requirements set by the English Football Association when they announced what they were looking for in a new head coach.
When they publicly advertised the position in July, they stated they preferred a candidate with “significant experience of English football, with a strong track record delivering results in the Premier League and/or leading international competitions.”
Part of the job description was to lead and develop the team to “win a major tournament and be consistently ranked as one of the top teams in the world.”
