England announced their opponents in the UEFA Nations League on Thursday, just hours after Thomas Tuchel announced he had signed a contract extension to remain as head coach.
Manager Thomas Tuchel believes England can win the biggest trophy in the next few years
Thomas Tuchel has insisted he believes England can win the World Cup after signing a further two-year deal.
Tuchel said he was committed until the end of Euro 2028 and that a key factor in staying was because it would allow England to win the biggest trophy. The England manager is happy to cast aside any doubts about his long-term future and remains passionate about the 2028 ‘home Euros’, although he strongly believes he can deliver the biggest prize of the summer.
“Yes, we believe. Of course we believe. We know how difficult it is and of course some other countries will believe as well, but we believe that we can play a strong role and we will aim for it,” Tuchel said.
“I’m even more proud, and it’s even more so when I think about the path we’ve built through camp. I’m very excited and very proud to now have the opportunity to go full circle.”
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read more: England know their Nations League opponents after signing Thomas Tuchel
“I love the group of players, I love the characters, I love being the manager. I felt the passion of this country when the Euros were held at Wembley.
“From then on, it was more of a dream than reality. I am very grateful for the support and trust of the FA and I will do my best to make everyone proud and keep moving forward.”
“I’m very proud and I enjoyed the job. It’s very special. The FA wanted it and I wanted it too, so it was an easy job.”
Tuchel’s new two-year contract runs until Euro 2028, but FA chief executive Mark Bullingham admitted there was a “clause” in the contract in case all things went wrong, but there was also an incentive bonus. But Mr. Bullingham declined to discuss whether there was a break clause.
It was confirmed that Tuchel had signed a contract extension with England ahead of Thursday’s UEFA Nations League draw (Image: Getty Images)
“I don’t want to get into that,” he said. “We appointed him with the idea in mind that he would be our coach in 2028. Everyone has a performance condition in their contract, but no one would expect me to step into that. I have that too, but we are really clear that we want him to coach us in 2028.”
“This removes all the uncertainty. It gives all the support team and players that confidence and that’s what we’ve done. He really enjoys this job. We really enjoy his presence.”
Away from the World Cup, England have joined the ranks of Europe’s powerhouses after drawing with Spain, Croatia and the Czech Republic in the Nations League.
Additionally, due to the long suspension of the first round, there will be no Premier League games played for the first three weeks of next season, potentially leading to a revolution in international football. The first four matches will be played from September 24 to October 6, with the aim of adjusting the international calendar to allow other Premier League stars to depart for South American qualifiers.
England are looking to end a 60-year blemish at this summer’s World Cup (Image: Eddie Keogh – The FA/The FA via Getty Images)
With the international window shortened in October and November, Three Lions manager Thomas Tuchel admitted the new format would be “strange” and said it would be “hard” for the nation to not have Premier League football at the start of next season.
England will regain top spot in 2024 and Tuchel can now look forward to a better and bigger test in Nations League games. Croatia is also a familiar opponent for England, who will play at this summer’s World Cup.
Tuchel said: “It’s very new and I have to admit it’s a bit strange. It’s also a little strange that we’ve just drawn in the World Cup and we haven’t even played a game and the next draw has already been decided. Please forgive me if I’m not completely focused on the Nations League.”
“It seems like a difficult group. It’s Croatia again, Spain. We need to think about how to tackle this period after the World Cup is over. It’s four games in a row, so let’s see.”
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