Thomas Tuchel’s original contract with the FA was due to expire after the World Cup, but the former Chelsea boss has decided to commit his future to the Three Lions despite receiving admiring looks from Old Trafford.
Thomas Tuchel set to sign new England contract (Image: Getty Images)
Thomas Tuchel has signed a new two-year contract and will remain at the club until the end of Euro 2028 as he has “really enjoyed” working in England.
The Football Association is expected to confirm plans before today’s Nations League draw in Brussels, with Tuchel attending Belgium. However, Tuchel, who was appointed in January 2025, has agreed to a two-year contract that will see him through this summer’s World Cup and take charge of the “home EURO”.
This is a big deal for the FA, as Tuchel also has strong interest from Manchester United, but he himself has been surprised by how much the German is enjoying his role.
Tuchel has overseen a perfect World Cup qualifying campaign, is fully committed to summer plans regarding base camp and is embracing his new life.
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The 52-year-old is based in London, is a regular at St George’s Park and is well used to traveling across the country to watch matches. Tuchel has become a regular in Premier League boardrooms, appearing against West Ham on Tuesday and at Anfield last Sunday.
He has also worked on talking to his players via phone, text and Zoom, gradually overcoming the frustration of missing training sessions ‘on the grass’.
There were some controversies along the way – most notably a very public own goal after his own mother claimed she found some of Jude Bellingham’s on-field behavior “disgusting” – but it was generally very positive.
Tuchel therefore said in November that he was prepared to stay and sign a new contract. He said at the time: “It’s a lot of fun. It’s a lot of fun, especially since we’ve been doing well in the last two camps, but that’s been the case from the beginning.”
Tuchel has a complicated relationship with Jude Bellingham (Image: Getty Images)
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“There’s nothing to announce at the moment, but I’m very happy with how things are going and I think the federation is very happy with the way things are going.
“Mentally I’m in a good place because I love the team, I love the support from the federation, I love the direction and that’s the main focus. I’m not thinking too much about my contract, but I have time for it.”
FA chief executive Mark Bullingham, perhaps Tuchel’s biggest fan and a keen supporter of former manager Gareth Southgate, found himself working with a very different person.
Mark Bullingham enjoys working with Thomas Tuchel (Image: Getty Images)
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But while that in itself is different and a new challenge, it is also one that the FA enjoys as they believe Tuchel is an elite manager and love his passion and approach to work.
Discussions were probably fueled by hints that Tuchel would stay on to attend the Nations League draw which begins in September. Tuchel, who earns £5m a year, has huge bonuses included in his contract, which will continue with a two-year extension.
But most importantly, the Football Association did not want the World Cup to be dominated by questions about the manager’s future or whether he should stay.
United interviewed Tuchel two years ago but decided to stick with Erik ten Hag in a farcical managerial search. Tuchel liked the idea of Old Trafford but was unimpressed with the way it was handled. United have since sacked 10 Hags and Ruben Amorim and have Michael Carrick in place as interim, but if they are to go the big-name route there could be no better candidate than Tuchel.
Tuchel was seen as a possible replacement for Michael Carrick (Image: Getty Images)
That door is now closed and his future is closed, which is reassuring for the FA and makes it easier to ask questions when speaking in Brussels in the draw.
However, the FA has come under fire in the past. They famously extended Fabio Capello’s contract before the 2010 World Cup, amid sudden talk of interest from Serie A clubs in Italy.
After a great qualifying campaign, the World Cup was a failure and with his resignation ahead of Euro 2012, leaving the team in dire straits, it looked like it was back to a very bad decision that would hurt them. But the FA have seen enough of Tuchel’s feelings and believe his heart is in the job, which is why he stays.
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