Thomas Tuchel is to become the new coach of the England national team. The announcement was met with mixed feelings on the island. People are hoping for good football, but why a German of all people?
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- The English Football Association has announced that Thomas Tuchel will be the new coach of the English national team.
- After the European Championship, they parted company with long-serving national team coach Gareth Southgate. Since then, Lee Carsley has been in office as interim coach.
- The English media have now reacted in mixed fashion to the association's announcement.
- On the one hand, the German tactician is credited with a great deal of expertise and great successes, while on the other hand, people are annoyed that no Englishman has been chosen for the job.
The news leaked out on Tuesday and the English Football Association (FA) confirmed it on Wednesday: Thomas Tuchel will be the new coach of the English national team. The German will take up his post at the beginning of 2025.
The English media reacted differently to the news. The fact that a foreigner has been chosen for the post has been a particular talking point on the island. After previous attempts under Sven Göran Eriksson (2001 - 2006) and Fabio Capello (2008 - 2011), the association had actually indicated that it wanted to prioritize English coaches from now on. Here are the best reactions.
Daily Mail: "We don't need Thomas Tuchel"
Following the FA's confirmation on Wednesday, the British newspaper welcomes Tuchel with a large banner in German: "Welcome Thomas", it says in big letters.
However, the paper is anything but happy with the new England coach. And it doesn't want to hide that. On Tuesday, the Daily Mail railed: "England must be English to the core. We don't need Thomas Tuchel, we need a patriot who puts this country first, second and third."
On Wednesday, it doubles down: "A dark day for England, the 'Three Lions' back a German" - and continues: "There are countless top-class English coaches, but our breathtaking snobbery towards our own managers is blocking them," writes the newspaper.
The Athletic: "England have signed a 'winner'"
The Athletic take a very different view of the signing. There, Tuchel is celebrated as a "winner". The "wave of home-grown coaching talent hoped for in recent years has not materialized", writes the newspaper, pointing out: "No English coach has won a European trophy since 1997, and no English coach has won the Premier League since 1992."
Tuchel's trophy cabinet, on the other hand, is impressive. In addition to the Champions League in 2021, the German has already won the Club World Cup, the French and German championships and numerous trophies.
BBC: "One of the best personalities in football"
The BBC does not believe in the abilities of English coaches either, openly asking the question: "Should the coach be English or good for the job?" The TV station writes about Tuchel: "No one can argue that the FA has not signed one of the best personalities in football with a proven track record."
At the same time, it emphasizes: "The FA's decision to appoint Tuchel as the new national coach is seen by many as a betrayal of its vaunted strategy and an insult to home-grown coaching talent."
The Mirror: "A new era begins"
The Mirror is looking forward to a "new era" and notes that at least the assistant coach is English. He is "highly rated" and a great talent.
However, Tuchel's appointment does scratch the English ego a little. "It means that the national team will be coached by someone from England's biggest football rival as a German takes charge for the first time," writes the newspaper.
The Guardian: "Intense, but the players will love him"
The Guardian seems to like the new coach. The fact that he is a German could only bother the kind of people who "are apparently still fighting Operation Market Garden in a bush near Eindhoven."
Tuchel is an "interesting choice with a lot of baggage", but one that makes sense. An "intense coach that the English players will love because of his pure coaching."
The big question is simply: "Will Tuchel sing 'God save the King'?"
