The challenging and intriguing responsibility assigned to Thomas Tuchel knows no bounds.
England seeks a top-tier coach, and they find one in Thomas Tuchel. He takes charge of the "Three Lions," with the goal of ending their title drought in football's birthplace. The conditions are favorable.
Tuchel's fame remained unscathed during his turbulent tenure at Bayern Munich, particularly in England, where he feels more appreciated than in Germany. He accepts a challenge that could hardly be more enticing: managing the English national team, despite an unofficial confirmation at the time. He leads the team of superstars, at least until the 2026 World Cup. The team's individual prowess hasn't translated into titles for decades, and both team and country are plagued by a title decay, suffering from 58 years of agony.
England last celebrated in 1966 when they became World Champions at home, thanks to the Wembley goal. Since then, they've been on a futile chase. This summer, they came close again, reaching the final of the European Championship in Germany, by playing a disappointing style of football that momentarily silenced their own critics, despite being played in Gelsenkirchen, which they derided as a "shithole."
What can the lion unleash?
Head coach Gareth Southgate took a brief break after losing the final against Spain, and then decided not to continue. His tenure was far from disastrous, with performances like the EM final 2024, EM final 2021, WM semi-final 2018. However, the English didn't really warm up to Southgate, who was once a symbol of failure as a player, missing the decisive penalty against Germany in the 1996 European Championship semi-final before his home crowd. Andreas Möller scored, and Southgate was left as the runner-up.
The desired winning pose is what the English hope for from Tuchel. Within days, surprising developments unfolded. His debut is likely to be at the Nations League game on 14 November in Greece. England had embarrassed themselves at Wembley against Greece just a few days ago. Former U21 coach Lee Carsley lamented afterward, saying: "This job deserves a world-class coach who has won trophies and gained experience." Carsley essentially announced the end of this enigma of world football. Once again, the questions resurfaced: What is preventing this incredibly talented team from shining? Southgate never managed to provide a definitive answer. It often seemed as if he was keeping the fiery lion on a leash, fearing that it might become too reckless.
One wonders what the English predator can accomplish if it is free to hunt. Tuchel now faces this formidable assignment, just a few months after his grueling experience at Bayern Munich, which never allowed the club to rest. Tuchel, the eternal restless one, had kept the record champions on their toes. Interestingly, the coach is following the same path as his Munich predecessor, Julian Nagelsmann. Nagelsmann took on the equally complex task of lifting the German crisis national team out of the abyss. The initial steps didn't go smoothly, but Nagelsmann picked up pace, and the team seems to have no barriers it can't overcome.
Harry Kane is ready to step out
Can Tuchel replicate this successful story? The conditions looking favorable, even if the team isn't functioning well. But what opportunities does the coach have? He can build a formidable team around Jude Bellingham, the world-class talent, with Declan Rice, whom Tuchel was heavily interested in coaching at Munich. With the prodigious Phil Foden and the deceptive Bukayo Saka. And with the still untitled Harry Kane, who is already thrilled with the prospect of a reunion, praising the "fantastic coach" and "fantastic personality" Tuchel.
The consensus is not limited to the media. The "Sun" demands: "The English football should welcome back the most dynamic, charismatic, impossibly tall, and lanky coach who's ever made an impact in the Premier League." The "Daily Mail" rages, however: "England must be purely English in the shirt. We need a patriot for whom the country comes first, second, and third. (...) The coach should be someone who was born and raised in the football culture of this country, someone who is familiar with the best and worst aspects of our country."
Sure thing, here's the paraphrased text:
To be honest, the English are venturing into uncharted territory with the native Swabian. Tuchel hasn't held the role of a national coach before. The methodology is distinctive, with minimal interaction with the squad. Furthermore, Tuchel isn't renowned for his diplomatic stance. When things don't go as planned, he openly challenges them. This didn't sit well in Dortmund, Paris, and at Chelsea FC either. Even in Munich, they found it tough when Tuchel once more openly criticized verbally. There was a brief discussion about whether Tuchel should be reinstated following the record champion's split, due to good performance and lacking alternatives. But the heavyweight from Tegernsee, Uli Hoeneß, articulated his displeasure and dealt a significant blow to Tuchel's coaching spirit.
Yet, there's something enchanting, something intriguing about this union. Tuchel is only the third foreigner to hold the position of team boss: Sven-Göran Eriksson (2001 to 2006) and Fabio Capello (2007 to 2012) preceded him. And his standing on the island is outstanding, he was also high on the list of potential rescuers at crisis club Manchester United, should Erik ten Hag indeed be dismissed.
Tuchel is undeniably a prodigy. He now has numerous world-class players at his disposal, a wide selection pool. Apart from France, probably no other nation boasts as much world-class talent and potential as England - albeit not in all positions. The backbench positions, however, offer fewer top-tier options. Nonetheless: Tuchel is embarking on a task that's barely smaller or more enticing. He could etch his name in history. In England.
Tuchel's time at FC Bayern Munich had not diminished his reputation, especially in England, where he felt more appreciated than in Germany. His next challenge was managing the English national team, even though an unofficial confirmation was yet to come.
With Tuchel leading the team, players like Jude Bellingham, Declan Rice, Phil Foden, and Bukayo Saka, alongside Harry Kane who was excited about a reunion, formed a formidable squad. Tuchel, who had also shown interest in coaching Rice at Bayern, could potentially build a strong team around these talents.
