There is heated debate in England about the future national coach Thomas Tuchel. Doesn’t an English national team have to be entrusted to an English coach? Football expert Gary Lineker also has a clear opinion on this.
Former England international soccer player Gary Lineker has mixed feelings about the appointment of Thomas Tuchel as England coach. “I think that the coach of a national team should also come from the country itself,” criticized the 63-year-old in the podcast “The Rest Is Football”. Lineker is considered the most influential and far-reaching expert in England. His job at the BBC is the best paid (1.5 million euros) in England’s media world.
“If you look at the big nations in world football: Brazil has always had a Brazilian coach, Argentina an Argentine coach. Germany has always only had German coaches, just like Spain and Italy. Why is it different in England?” According to Lineker, English football has not produced enough good coaches.
Nevertheless, the ex-professional (for Everton, Barcelona and Tottenham, among others) has great respect for Tuchel. “He has that experience. And whether I personally would choose an Englishman or not – nobody cares if England somehow manages to win the World Cup in 2026 and gets us out of this damn misery,” Lineker said with a laugh. The English have been waiting for a major title since 1966.
Tuchel signed the contract eight days ago
Former Bayern coach Tuchel will take over from January and will lead the English team to World Cup titles in the USA, Mexico and Canada. The German can point to an “impressive list of coaching successes” and was “identified as the preferred candidate” in the selection process, the English Football Association (FA) said. The contract was signed on October 8th. It was not initially announced whether the contract also runs until the 2028 European Championship, where England is co-host, or whether it includes corresponding clauses.
Tuchel said on Wednesday that he would “do everything to ensure that we first and foremost qualify for the World Cup and that we then have a successful World Cup. We will try to get the second star on our jersey.”
The association had been looking for a new head coach after Gareth Southgate’s eight-year tenure ended following the European Championship final defeat against Spain. Efforts were intensified because internal doubts about interim coach Lee Carsley grew after the 2-1 home defeat against Greece in the Nation League. “This job deserves a world-class coach who has won trophies and been through it all,” Carsley said recently.
This is also why Tuchel fits the profile. He won national championship titles with Bayern and PSG as well as the Champions League, Super Cup and Club World Cup with Chelsea in 2021. The coach enjoys a very good reputation in England, and he was also considered a possible successor to the controversial Erik ten Hag at Premier League club Manchester United. Tuchel has been without a job since the summer after his contract with Bayern, which originally ran until 2025, was terminated.
Former national player Rio Ferdinand believes the 51-year-old can achieve something historic. “I would even go so far as to say that Thomas Tuchel won a tournament during his time with England,” said the 45-year-old former Manchester United professional in a video on his YouTube channel.
Ferdinand admitted that Tuchel as England coach was a controversial decision for many fans. He had read articles saying they needed an English coach, a patriot. “But you want to have the best.” And if they won the World Cup or European Championships, all the people who wrote these articles would scream with happiness and drink twelve beers, said Ferdinand.
Prince William comes out as a fan of the German
Tuchel is the third foreign coach in the post after Sven-Göran Eriksson and Fabio Capello, but the first German. According to Ferdinand, he is taking over a young, lively and aggressive team that needs someone to take them by the hand to lead them to the promised land, where no English team has ever been, said Ferdinand.
Meanwhile, Prince William has pledged his support for Tuchel’s work. “Thomas, we wish you good luck and are all behind you!” wrote the British heir to the throne on the X platform. With the appointment of the German, the 42-year-old sees “exciting times” ahead for the Three Lions, “with a new generation talented players and a new manager to take the reins”.
The message on the account of the heir to the British throne was signed with “W”, the first letter of the first name William. This is considered a sign that he wrote the message himself. Prince William is patron of the English Football Association (FA).
Borussia Dortmund coach Nuri Sahin also sees Tuchel’s appointment as positive. “I can only congratulate the English association on having a fantastic coach. I think extremely highly of Thomas as a coach and know that he can definitely give this team something,” said the 36-year-old, who was a professional in Dortmund under the direction of Tuchel (2015 to 2017).
FSV Mainz 05, where Tuchel began his professional coaching career, wished the ex-coach “good luck” for his new task on Platform X. With a view to the English team’s long wait for their first major title since the World Cup triumph in 1966, Mainz also wrote: “He knows how to lift a trophy.” Tuchel won the A-junior championship title with the club in 2009 won.
