The FA’s reasons for appointing Thomas Tuchel over Graham Potter as England’s new permanent manager have been revealed.
Tuchel’s appointment was confirmed on Wednesday morning as he becomes England’s third foreign manager after Sven-Goran Eriksson and Fabio Capello.
Choosing the 51-year-old German over a homegrown option has sparked controversy, with some arguing that the England manager should always be English.
According to the Manchester Evening NewsFormer Chelsea and Brighton boss Potter was approached about the job but was overlooked after the FA decided there was no great English candidate available.
It is clear that the FA wanted to bring in someone with an international background, and they believe that Tuchel meets these criteria.
German Thomas Tuchel has been named England’s next permanent manager
Englishman Graham Potter was overlooked for the job despite being interviewed by the FA
Tuchel’s career has included managing Chelsea, Borussia Dortmund, PSG and Bayern Munich, leading the former to Champions League glory, while winning league titles with the latter two sides.
Potter impressed during his time in charge of Brighton but struggled during a disastrous seven-month spell at Stamford Bridge, and this appears to be working against him.
He has not returned to the sidelines since being sacked by Chelsea in April 2023.
Meanwhile, Lee Carsley will retain interim responsibility for England’s two Nations League matches next month, but has also missed out on the permanent role.
After England’s 3-1 win over Finland on Sunday, Carsley admitted the country needs a manager who has won plenty of trophies at the helm as he appeared to rule himself out.
He later backtracked on these comments, but it has now been confirmed that Tuchel will succeed Gareth Southgate on a permanent basis, with the German set to take over in January.
Lee Carsley also missed out on the permanent job, but will remain interim responsible for next month’s matches
The FA announced on Wednesday that Tuchel had actually signed his contract last Tuesday, ahead of England’s shock defeat to Greece and subsequent win in Finland.
Tuchel will be joined by former Chelsea and Bayern Munich coach Anthony Barry as he tries to end England’s long wait for a major trophy.