Thomas Tuchel set to make his first official appearance as England manager next week – ahead of official start on January 1
- Thomas Tuchel will make his first official appearance as England manager next week
- He will not start in this position until next year as he wants to qualify for the World Cup
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Thomas Tuchel will make his first appearance since being unveiled as England head coach in next week’s World Cup qualifying draw.
Tuchel has kept a low profile since being confirmed as the England team’s new boss in October, considering he doesn’t officially start until January 1, 2025.
However, the German will be present for next Friday’s qualifying draw in Zurich, where his new team will find out who they will face to reach the 2026 World Cup in the US, Canada and Mexico – just over two weeks before he is signed to start with, the football association.
Tuchel will also speak to the media at the event in Switzerland on December 13, where he will provide further insight into his plans for the national team.
The former Chelsea manager signed an 18-month contract in October and will earn around £6 million a year in the role.
By taking the job, he becomes England’s third foreign manager, after Sven-Goran Eriksson and Fabio Capello.
Thomas Tuchel will make his first appearance as England coach in next week’s World Cup qualifying draw
He will speak to the media at the event, which will be held in Switzerland this Friday
Tuchel’s goal is to win the World Cup with the national team for the first time since 1966
He succeeds Gareth Southgate, who spent eight years in the role and led the Three Lions to the European Championship finals and the semi-finals and quarter-finals of the World Cup.
Lee Carsley took charge of the team on an interim basis after Southgate left and was at one point thought to be in the running for the full-time role.
If Tuchel leads his team to World Cup glory, as is his aim, he will be unique in the pantheon of managers to date, doing so in a 48-team format.
In the 2026 edition, there will be sixteen groups of three teams, instead of eight groups of four, before entering the knockout rounds.
Tuchel has a stellar CV at club level, but has never managed an international team.
The 51-year-old has managed five teams, including Chelsea, Borussia Dortmund, PSG and Bayern.
The England job will be his first since he left Bayern at the end of last season.
Tuchel famously guided Chelsea to Champions League glory in 2021, just four months after replacing Frank Lampard in the dugout at Stamford Bridge.
He also won the Club World Cup with the Blues and has claimed league titles with PSG and Bayern, although he left the German giants behind after they finished third in the Bundesliga last season.