Thomas Tuchel, former Chelsea and Bayern Munich coach, has signed a contract and will become the new England manager.
The German, who has been out of work since leaving Bayern in the summer, will become his full-time successor Garetha Southgate’awho resigned after that England failure with Spain in the Euro 2024 final in July.
Tuchel, 51, led Chelsea to Champions League success in 2021 but was fired a year later.
Tuchel is the first non-English-speaking manager to take up the job since Fabio Capello left in 2012, and only the third overall, after Italian and Swede Sven-Goran Eriksson.
FA chief executive Mark Bullingham and technical director John McDermott have been in talks with Tuchel since last month.
Before the appointment was confirmed, England captain Harry Kane welcomed the idea of Tuchel taking over.
Tuchel on the touchline during his time with Bayern Munich in 2023. File photo: PA
Kane, who was the German's coach at Bayern Munich last season, told Sky Sports at an event for the club's fans in the city: “I know Thomas well from last year. Fantastic coach, fantastic person.”
Kane, who signed for Tuchel, had the best season of his career, scoring 44 goals in 45 games.
The FA has not commented, but Sky Sports' Rob Dorsett said the association would confirm the appointment at a Wednesday lunchtime press conference. It is unclear whether Tuchel himself will be there.
Gareth Southgate applauds the fans after the end of the final match between Spain and England. File photo: AP
He called today's development “an extraordinary situation given the additional controversy it will bring and the rivalry between England and Germany that goes back so many decades.”
Tuchel, he said, will earn between £4.5 million and £5 million, calling it “a significant pay cut for a highly successful club manager.”
The proven winner decided to repeat the trick against England
England moved quickly to potentially avoid losing to Thomas Tuchel.
They opted not only for the Three Lions' third foreign manager, but also for proven winners at club level such as Sven-Göran Eriksson and Fabio Capello.
After five months of work, the German won with Chelsea the biggest club prize of all – the Champions League.
He then dealt with the complexities of being the face of the Blues after owner Roman Abramovich was punished and forced to sell.
But it disappeared within months of the takeover.
There has always been talk of potential friction around transfers – as was the case during his season at Bayern Munich – but that won't be an issue with the national team.
His challenge in his first international job – winning a trophy England came so close to winning under Gareth Southgate but fell short twice in the Euro finals.
Former Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp told Sky News it was a shame England's young managers were overlooked.
Asked what the new manager needed to do, he said he needed to show “a bit of common sense, pick the right players, put them in the right positions and give them a bit of pride in playing for their country.”
The German, he said, has a great chance “to come and win the tournament with a great group of young players.”
In addition to the Champions League, Tuchel led Chelsea to victory in the Super Cup and Club World Cup, and also led Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern to win the French and German titles respectively.
He was one of the bookmakers' favorites to work in England, along with, among others, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola.
The FA has approached Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola. Photo: Reuters
According to Sky Sports, the FA contacted the Spaniard's representatives but there were no further arrangements.
The other leading candidates are believed to be another German, former Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp, and English pair Graham Potter and Eddie Howe of Newcastle.
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England interim manager Lee Carsley. Photo: Reuters
England Under-21 coach Lee Carsley had been in charge of the senior team on an interim basis for four Nations League games in the autumn and was thought to be a candidate for the job.
He led the Three Lions to three wins but a 2-1 defeat by Greece at Wembley last Friday, coupled with a lack of clarity from him about his ambitions, has raised doubts over his suitability for a full-time role.
