'I want to put second star on shirt' - new England boss Tuchel targeting World Cup glory

By Sports Desk October 16, 2024

Thomas Tuchel wants "to put the second star on this shirt", as the new England head coach set his sights on World Cup glory in 2026.

The 51-year-old was announced as Gareth Southgate's successor on Wednesday, agreeing an 18-month contract that will begin on January 1.

Former Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Bayern Munich boss Tuchel is the first German to manage the Three Lions, and only the third non-English coach in history after the late Sven-Goran Eriksson and Fabio Capello.

Southgate came within whiskers of ending England's wait for major international silverware, suffering successive European Championship final defeats against Italy and Spain.

Tuchel, who has also managed Mainz and Borussia Dortmund, is excited to be working with such a talented group of players, and hopes he can help get the group over the winning line.

"I want to put the second star [for a World Cup win] on this shirt," he told reporters during his press conference at Wembley. "We will work hard for the biggest target in football, making our dream come true at the World Cup [in] 2026.

"I understood very quickly that it is a big job. I always think the job you are in is the biggest job, and it makes no sense to compare, but it feels big and feels like a privilege.

"I think it is pretty obvious I am very emotional. I love what I am doing and am passionate about football. This role just brought the young me alive and brought back my teenage days, to get excited for such a big task.

"Once I made a time frame up in my mind from January [2025] to the World Cup, I already felt excited.

"It suited my passion to push this group of players, and to be part of this federation with such a strong record in the last tournaments - to push it over the line and to try to put a second star on the shirt."

Lee Carsley will continue in his role as England's interim head coach for the remainder of the ongoing Nations League campaign, before Tuchel takes over the reins.

The German also addressed critics believing an Englishman should oversee the national team, believing his previous stint at Chelsea between January 2021 and September 2022 - during which he won the Champions League and Club World Cup - stands him in good stead.

"All of those supporters maybe felt my passion for the English Premier League and the country, and how I love to live and work here," he added.

"Hopefully, I can convince them and show them and prove to them that I am proud to be an English manager, and do everything to show respect to this role and this country and the target for the next 18 months.

"Everyone can be assured we will do it with passion and emotion. We will try to install values and principles and rules as quickly as possible to make the dream come true."

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    Harry Kane believes Thomas Tuchel will "bring a lot of energy" to England's squad, after the German was confirmed as the Three Lions' head coach.

    Tuchel has signed an 18-month contract to succeed Gareth Southgate, and will begin his new role on January 1 with interim boss Lee Carsley overseeing the remainder of the ongoing Nations League campaign.

    Only the third non-English coach to take charge of the Three Lions, the 51-year-old brings a wealth of experience and success to the Wembley dugout.

    A Champions League and Club World Cup winner with Chelsea, he also won two Ligue 1 titles with Paris Saint-Germain and the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich.

    He worked alongside England captain Kane last season, with the former Tottenham forward scoring 44 goals in 45 games under Tuchel.

    Despite surrendering the Bundesliga crown to Xabi Alonso's Bayer Leverkusen, Tuchel guided Bayern to the Champions League semi-finals, making him the first German coach to achieve the feat with three different clubs.

    And Kane is excited about being reunited with his former boss.

    "It's obviously a big move with Thomas being our new England coach," the forward said. "I think it's a really great appointment.

    "Obviously, I worked closely with him last season, and I think he's a really top, top coach, and also a great person.

    "I think he'll bring a lot of energy to the squad, a lot of experience as well, so really looking forward to starting with him next year."

  • Jamaica to face USA as Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals kick off on November 14 Jamaica to face USA as Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals kick off on November 14

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     Jamaica, coming off an unbeaten group stage campaign, will be looking to build on their strong performances, which included victories over Nicaragua and Honduras, as well as draws against 10-man Cuba and Honduras. The Reggae Boyz will face the USA in a home-and-away series, with the second leg scheduled for November 18. The winner on aggregate will not only advance to the Concacaf Nations League Finals, set for March 2025 at Hollywood Park and SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, but also secure a spot in next summer’s Gold Cup.

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  • The FA 'have serious questions to answer' over Tuchel appointment, says Neville The FA 'have serious questions to answer' over Tuchel appointment, says Neville

    Gary Neville believes the FA have "serious questions to answer" following the appointment of Thomas Tuchel as England's new head coach.

    The German has been named as Gareth Southgate's successor after signing an 18-month contract with the Three Lions, which will begin on January 1, with interim boss Lee Carsley overseeing the remainder of the ongoing Nations League campaign.

    A Champions League winner with Chelsea and league title winner with Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich, Tuchel becomes only the third non-English coach to take charge of the national side after Sven-Goran Eriksson and Fabio Capello.

    Neville, who was capped 85 times by the Three Lions between 1995 and 2007, is in no doubt of the quality the 51-year-old will bring to the role.

    However, the former defender believes the FA have acted on instinct by giving the job to an international manager, whilst overlooking the likes of Eddie Howe and Graham Potter.

    "They probably got the best available coach in the world at this moment in time," Neville told Sky Sports News. "Fitting that criteria, they are absolutely spot on.

    "I am not sure if it meets the criteria of St George's Park and the belief in English coaches, and the growth in the English teams' performances over the last few years.

    "Not just the men's, but the women's and the youth teams as well. St George's Park was going to be a hotbed of proving that English coaches could get back to the top of European football.

    "It doesn't feel like a strategic decision, it feels like an instinctive one off the back of what's happened in the last two weeks.

    "Everybody in our country, including myself, will wish him all the best and hope we can get over the line and win a trophy, but I think there are some serious questions for the FA to answer in respect of English coaching.

    "I do think we are damaging ourselves by accepting Thomas Tuchel is better than any of the other English coaches. We are in a rut when it comes to English coaching.

    "English coaching is one of the least respected big nations in Europe when it comes to taking charge of a football team. Spanish, German, Italian, Portuguese coaches are renowned for their styles of play, for their philosophy.

    "We don't have a clear identity as an English nation of what we are any more. We haven't built a style, we haven't got a coach who's built a style that's unique to us."

    England reached successive European Championship finals under Gareth Southgate, but suffered heartbreaking defeats at the hands of Italy and Spain.

    And former Three Lions captain Alan Shearer - in contrast to Neville - thinks the FA have done the right thing by hiring a proven winner in a bid to end the nation's long wait for silverware.

    "We need a trophy - it's as simple as that. We need a manager who can deliver that," Shearer told The Rest Is Football podcast.

    "There's no doubt [Tuchel] has an incredible CV, but this is going to be a very different test for him. It's a bold move from the FA, there's no doubt about it.

    "You have to win the tournament, that's what he's been hired for. They [the FA] have seen the bunch of players are the best England have had for a long, long time."

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