Tuchel reacts to some England fans being disappointed: ‘I am sorry that I have a German passport’
New England head coach Thomas Tuchel wants to show Three Lions fans that he is proud to be in the job despite his German passport.
The former Chelsea, Paris St Germain and Bayern Munich manager becomes the third non-Englishman to hold the post after Sven-Goran Eriksson and Fabio Capello.
The 51-year-old, who will be assisted by English coach Anthony Barry, will take up the role on January 1 ahead of the World Cup qualifying campaign after signing an 18-month deal.
A Football Association statement revealed Tuchel signed a contract on October 8 – before the latest round of international fixtures – but the announcement was delayed to “minimise distraction around the international camp”.
Prior to Thursday’s home defeat by Greece, interim head coach Lee Carsley had widely been considered the favourite to land the job on a permanent basis.
The recruitment process began following Gareth Southgate’s resignation in July, with several candidates interviewed, leading to Tuchel being identified as the preferred appointment.
Carsley will remain in charge of England for the final round of Nations League matches next month against Greece and the Republic of Ireland before returning to his role as Under-21 boss.
There have been some doubts from England supporters and media outlets over Tuchel’s German nationality and his ability to take the Three Lions forward.
Reacting to those views, Tuchel said: “I am sorry that I have a German passport. All of these supporters felt my passion for the Premier League and the country. I loved to live here.
“Hopefully I can show them that I am proud to be the English manager and I will do everything to show respect to this job and this country.”
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Tuchel also reiterated his comments that taking the England job was a big “privilege” for him, he added: “I understood very quickly it’s a big job. I think it’s always the job you’re in which is the biggest job.
“It doesn’t make much sense to compare, but it feels big and a privilege. It’s very new because I come from club football, so the rhythm and responsibility, the role is a new role which is very exciting.
“I was very open for that, and liked the idea of it. Once Mark [Bullingham] and John [McDermott] made clear this job is about football, we never lost the momentum and once I made a timeframe in my mind from January to the World Cup, I felt excited already.
“It suited my passion and my strive to push this group of players and be part of this federation with such a strong record in recent tournaments, to push it over the line and put a second star on the shirt.”
On how he overcame initial doubts about the job, Tuchel continued: “Mark and John made very clear this is about football.
“That excited me very quickly because I wasn’t sure before we had the first talk if this is a role for me, in international football.
“The schedule is very different from club football, but then we found so many similarities and things which suited my approach and hunger to achieve special things.
“I always wanted to come back to England, that was my big goal. I have the best memories of the country, the league and the players. The attitude towards the game, from the supporters that shapes the players and the character of the players.
“It’s one of a kind, that’s why the offer came at the right time – we kept the momentum, and within weeks we found a vision to share and a project and adventure I’m very happy to be a big part of.
“Now I have to live up to it, and I know there are some trophies missing in the federation! I want to help make that happen.”
