Thomas Tuchel has been announced as England’s new head coach, the Football Association confirmed on Wednesday.
Tuchel, 51, will start work on Jan. 1, with interim boss Lee Carsley remaining in charge for next month’s UEFA Nations League doubleheader against Greece and Republic of Ireland.
Tuchel’s appointment concludes a search conducted by FA chief executive Mark Bullingham and technical director John McDermott which began in July following Gareth Southgate’s decision to step down after England lost the Euro 2024 final to Spain.
In a statement, former Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Bayern Munich manager Tuchel said: “I am very proud to have been given the honour of leading the England team.
“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.”
Tuchel’s new assistant will be Anthony Barry. The pair originally met at Chelsea before Tuchel convinced Barry to join Bayern in April 2023. Barry, 38, has previously worked with Belgium and Republic of Ireland before most recently forming part of Portugal‘s backroom team under Roberto Martinez.
Tuchel said: “Working closely with Anthony as my assistant coach, we will do everything we can to make England successful and the supporters proud. I want to thank the FA, in particular Mark and John, for their trust and I am looking forward to starting our journey together.”
The FA view Tuchel’s arrival as a significant coup given they set themselves the target of securing a candidate with a “strong track record delivering results in the Premier League and/or leading international competitions.”
Tuchel has won 11 major honours including the 2021 Champions League with a Chelsea side that featured several England internationals including Reece James, Ben Chilwell and Mason Mount, who has since joined Manchester United. Tuchel also worked with England captain Harry Kane at Bayern before his departure at the end of last season.
Sources told ESPN that the FA spoke with several candidates including Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola. In Wednesday’s announcement, the organisation claimed Tuchel signed his contract on Oct. 8.
“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,” Bullingham said.
“Our recruitment process has been very thorough. Before the Euros we had a contingency plan and outlined exactly the qualities we would be looking for in a coach.
“Since Gareth resigned, we have worked through the candidate pool, meeting a number of coaches and evaluating them against that criteria.
“Thomas was very impressive and stood out with his vast expertise and his drive. Anthony is a top English talent and also has international experience with Republic of Ireland, Belgium and Portugal.
“Fundamentally we wanted to hire a coaching team to give us the best possible chance of winning a major tournament, and we believe they will do just that. Thomas and the team have a single-minded focus on giving us the best possible chance to win the World Cup in 2026.
“I would like to thank Lee for stepping up and doing everything we asked of him — he is a very talented coach and a major part of our England pathway. He will now focus on retaining the U21 Euro title in the summer. These are exciting times for England fans at senior and U21 level, and we look forward to welcoming Thomas and Anthony when they begin work in January.”
Prince William, the Prince of Wales, reacted to the news on social media, saying: “Exciting times for England, with a generation of talented players and a new manager taking the reins.
“Thomas, wishing you the best of luck, we’re all behind you! W.”