The German has agreed an extension to his contract, which was due to expire after the 2026 World Cup, and will lead England to Euro 2028 regardless of the outcome this summer.
Manager Thomas Tuchel has agreed to remain as England manager after this summer’s World Cup (Image: Getty Images)
Almost amusingly, it had become inevitable. The Football Association were hoping for a bit of confidence and a big name for their Euro 2028 ‘home’ appearance, but manager Thomas Tuchel quickly realized what a nifty number that was.
Remember when it was commonly known as the “impossible task”? Not anymore. Not under this free agency, not with this team of players.
Under this free agency, not winning the tournament is enough. That was Gareth Southgate’s conclusion. Although he played in four tournaments, he did not win any of them and it was only by his own choice that he resigned as England manager.
That’s why it’s no longer an impossible task. Reaching the top eight is enough. That was for Gareth in Qatar in 2022.
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And given the number and quality of players at the England manager’s disposal, reaching the last eight should be almost a formality. It’s no longer impossible because the FA doesn’t ask for anything near impossible.
Barring some humiliating failure, they want the security of having someone established sign them up for a while. It was an idea that dates back to 2010, when the FA removed a break clause from Fabio Capello’s contract ahead of the World Cup in South Africa.
England fell down the table, but the FA stuck with Capello. Tuchel has a better team than Capello and England will almost certainly do well this summer.
Fabio Capello’s contract was changed just before England’s disastrous 2010 World Cup (Image: PA)
But remember when the party line was all about Tuchel being called in for one purpose? It was to win the World Cup. Take home £7.5 million, win the World Cup and ride off into the Premier League twilight.
The appointment was supposed to be controversial, as the FA were once again appointing a foreign manager, but the controversy turned out to be a thrilling one. Forget all the long-term stuff like the St. George’s Park setup and DNA chats, this was a hired gun with only one purpose.
But the mild-mannered Tuchel recently admitted that being England manager was not the grueling job some people thought it was, and was actually “a lot of fun”. Why not? He has held the job for more than a year and is paid 100 grand a week to see off Andorra, Latvia, Albania and Serbia.
Thomas Tuchel has too many options and may not start Phil Foden or Jude Bellingham (Image: Harry Murphy/Getty Images)
His work hours and location are flexible, to say the least. What’s not to like? Something that isn’t “very fun”.
Well, it’s going to be a little more difficult within the United States, but it should be easier to negotiate with a group that includes Panama, Ghana, and Croatia. And while Tuchel has plenty of good players to choose from, there is even talk that the likes of Phil Foden and Cole Palmer are not guaranteed to leave.
Jude Bellingham is not locked into the starting eleven. That means Tuchel has great options.
Football Association chief executive Mark Bullingham (right) clearly believes Thomas Tuchel is the coach of royalty (Image: Andrew Parsons/Kensington Palace)
They should play a big role in the 2026 World Cup. But as long as there is no disgrace, Tuchel will be strong.
What has changed since his short-term appointment? It was a perfect campaign to qualify for the World Cup, but against Andorra, Latvia, Serbia and Albania. Let’s not forget that Tuchel’s England were defeated by Senegal.
So far, Tuchel looks suited to the role and is clearly a quality manager. But let’s see how he fares on the biggest international stage.
Well, maybe not. Let’s give him a new contract anyway. An impossible task? No, it’s the most enjoyable task.
