It said plenty about Thomas Tuchel’s easy charm, his ability to read the room and say the right things. In this case, the incoming England manager had read the walls, noticing a famous quotation from Pelé in one of the Wembley hospitality boxes and logging it. That could work, he thought.
The press conference room at the stadium was packed, the sense of anticipation palpable. It tells you something when the TV cameras at the sides are pointed at the audience. They wanted to get a sense of the scale of the occasion. Moments before 1.30pm, John McDermott walked in to take a seat towards the back, the Football Association’s technical director accompanied by Anthony Barry, the incoming assistant manager, and Olaf Meinking, Tuchel’s PR man. And then there he was, the angular figure of Tuchel, blond highlights in his hair, striding to the stage with the FA’s chief executive, Mark Bullingham.
It would practically be the first thing that Tuchel said, 10 seconds or so into his opening address. “I just had the chance to read a quote from Pelé in the building at Wembley who said that Wembley is the heart, the capital and the cathedral of football,” Tuchel said. “I think he was absolutely right.”
Tuchel pretty much went from there, the tone of everything note perfect. There was the faintly amused expression, the twinkle in the eyes – familiar to the London media corps from his 18-month spell at Chelsea. The self-belief and the humour, too, to get him out of tight spots.
If there was any spikiness at Tuchel’s presentation, it came from the floor in relation to the length of his contract – 18 months before both parties assess – and why he was not starting it until 1 January. Why not dive straight in, taking over from the interim manager, Lee Carsley, for the final Nations League group phase ties against Greece and Republic of Ireland next month?
Or, even, why had he not begun in early September, in time for the entirety of the competition and in order to have longer to prepare for the 2026 World Cup? Tuchel has been out of work since May, when his 15-month stint at Bayern Munich ended. Gareth Southgate vacated the England job in mid-July. “I have good experience with 18 months, personally … unfortunately, also sometimes,” Tuchel said with a smile. “I’m working on my long-term game.”
Tuchel explained that he wanted a “clean start” for the World Cup qualifying campaign in March, a singular focus, although it would not be completely that way if Carsley bequeathed him a Nations League playoff which would be played in March, the World Cup qualifiers bumped to June. It has been reported in Germany that Tuchel was due to collect his £10m-a-year Bayern salary until June. His basic wage with England will be around half of that. Tuchel is not expected to attend the World Cup qualification draw on 13 December.
There was an amusing moment when Tuchel was reminded of a previous comment of his about international football, how it was adding unnecessary games to the calendar and we needed less of them. “Good one,” he replied. “Now it’s not enough, we need more matches!”
Tuchel enjoys these jousts, his love of England – stirred by his time at Chelsea – even extending to the undesirables of the English press. Rather like José Mourinho, he sees the personality-driven media landscape and fan culture here as made for him.
Tuchel was happy to push the line about this being a homecoming of sorts – “I always wanted to come back to England, that was my big goal” – and there was a deftness about his handling of the nationality question. He had woken to a back-page editorial in one of the national dailies that decried the appointment of a German, describing it as a dark day for England. Three of the other main papers wanted to emphasise Tuchel’s roots by picturing him in full Oktoberfest garb; the lederhosen, the stein of beer.
Tuchel deadpanned about being sorry for having a German passport. “Everyone has their opinion,” he added. “And I can understand even the opinion: ‘I would fancy an English coach more for the English team.’ But I think we [him and his staff] deserve a fair chance, the credit for having a good record in this country [at Chelsea] and for never being shy of how much we love to live here and work with the players in the Premier League. Maybe this counts a little bit for a British edge on my German passport.
“It is the country, the humour, the way of life, the attitude supporters demand from the players. I have said it many times – it shapes the character of the players. It is one of a kind. To breathe it again is a big privilege.”
Tuchel parked for now the question of whether he would sing the national anthem and he did the same when asked if he intended to retain Harry Kane as his captain. It was not a day to speak about individual players, rather one to talk up his enthusiasm and, above all, to outline what he plans to do – deliver glory at the World Cup. He was not shy about saying so; he made it sound like win or bust. And nor was Bullingham, who has faced criticism for turning away from the fun idea that international football should be our best against your best. His attitude? Why restrict yourself? He wants the best man possible; the safest bet.
Tuchel said at one point that it was a “step into the unknown” for him; the rhythms of international football so different to what he is used to. Is he ready? Absolutely.
“This role has brought the young me alive,” he said. “It has brought back my teenage days, to get excited for such a big country, the Three Lions, playing at Wembley, leading this group of players. Everyone can be assured that we will do it with passion and emotion. We will try to install values and rules as quickly as possible to make the dream come through.”
