Thomas Tuchel has been announced as England’s new head coach, the Football Association confirmed on Wednesday.
The 51-year-old will begin work on January 1, while caretaker manager Lee Carsley will remain in charge of next month’s UEFA Nations League double-header against Greece and the Republic of Ireland.
Tuchel’s appointment concludes a search by FA chief executive Mark Bullingham and technical director John McDermott, which began in July following Gareth Southgate’s decision to step down following the FA’s defeat. England in the Euro 2024 final against Spain.
In a statement, Tuchel, former manager of Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Bayern Munich, said: “I am very proud to have had the honor of managing the England team.
“I have long felt a personal connection to football in this country, and it has already given me some incredible moments. Having the chance to represent England is a huge privilege, and the opportunity to work with this special and talented group of players is very exciting.
Tuchel’s new assistant will be Anthony Barry. The pair originally met at Chelsea before Tuchel convinced Barry to join Bayern in April 2023. Barry, 38, previously worked with Belgium and the Republic of Ireland before recently becoming part of the Portugal’s backstage team under the direction of Roberto Martinez.
Tuchel said: “Working closely with Anthony as assistant coach, we will do everything we can to make England successful and the fans proud. I would like to thank the FA, particularly Mark and John, for their trust and I look forward to beginning our journey together.
The FA sees Tuchel’s arrival as a significant coup given that it has set itself the goal of finding a candidate with “a strong track record of delivering results in the Premier League and/or major international competitions”.
Tuchel won 11 major honors, including the 2021 Champions League with a Chelsea team that included several England internationals, including Reece James, Ben Chilwell and Mason Mount, who has since joined Manchester United. Tuchel also worked with England captain Harry Kane at Bayern before his departure at the end of last season.
Sources told ESPN that the FA had spoken with several candidates, including Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, and in Wednesday’s announcement the organization claimed Tuchel signed his contract on October 8.
“We are delighted to have hired Thomas Tuchel, one of the best coaches in the world, and Anthony Barry, one of the best English coaches, to support him,” Bullingham said.
“Our recruitment process was very thorough. Before the Euros, we had a contingency plan and outlined exactly the qualities we were looking for in a coach.
“Since Gareth’s resignation we have been working through the candidate pipeline, meeting with a number of coaches and assessing them against these criteria.
“Thomas was very impressive and stood out with his vast expertise and dynamism. Anthony is a leading English talent and also has international experience with the Republic of Ireland, Belgium and Portugal.
“Basically, we wanted to hire a coaching staff to give us the best possible chance of winning a major tournament, and we believe they will achieve that. Thomas and the team aim to give us the best possible chance of winning the World Cup in 2026.
“I would like to thank Lee for stepping up and doing everything we asked of him – he is a very talented coach and a major part of our journey in England. He will now focus on retaining the England title. “U21 EURO this summer These are exciting times for England fans at senior and U21 level, and we look forward to welcoming Thomas and Anthony when they start work in January.