The England manager oversaw an impressive run to the last four, but his side squandered a golden chance to reach the final for the first time in 60 years. Former England captain Wayne Rooney led a chorus of criticism, slamming Tuchel’s changes and claiming his tactical approach was too cautious and ultimately gave Argentina an advantage. The FA still has full confidence in Tuchel and has no plans to sack him.
Asked if he was still fit to lead England to Euro 2028, which will be co-hosted with Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland, Tuchel said: “Yes, 100 per cent. There is still plenty to improve on and I am very happy to be able to do so.”
“I loved it here. I loved every day. After the Norway game, I said there was a departure from what I had seen in training at soccer level, but I think we can push ourselves more into the ball in games. I still think we can show what good soccer players we are.”
“I think it’s still in us, as you’ve seen in training and all camps, and here at the World Cup. We still feel like there’s an extra level we need to overcome and we need to step up to the next level to win the big prize.”
Tuchel now has to contend with the unwelcome prospect of facing France in the third-place match in Miami on Saturday. The match comes less than 72 hours after a heartbreaking loss to bitter rivals Argentina.
England are expected to give notice of the change as Tuchel also intends to use the remainder of the summer to reflect on their World Cup campaign and consider why his team ultimately fell short of the final hurdle.
The German manager believes a big factor in England’s late decline was the number of players arriving on international duty injured after a grueling club season.
Tuchel added: “As always, we need some time to digest, reflect and analyze. It just takes time and we have to bounce back. That’s what sport demands of us. High-level sport demands of us too. That’s basically the next step.”
“During the tournament, we struggled physically, playing in the heat, playing at high altitude, playing with players lying down. In the end, it took a huge toll. We gave our best, but it wasn’t enough.”
