The FA’s reasons for appointing Thomas Tuchel over Graham Potter as England’s new permanent manager have been revealed.
Tuchel’s appointment was confirmed on Wednesday morning, as he becomes England’s third foreign manager after Sven-Goran Eriksson and Fabio Capello.
Picking the 51-year-old German over a homegrown option has caused controversy, with some believing the England manager should always be English.
According to the Manchester Evening News, former Chelsea and Brighton boss Potter was spoken to about the job, but was overlooked after the FA decided that there was not a stellar English candidate available.
It is understood that the FA wanted to bring in someone with international pedigree, and feel Tuchel fits this criteria.
German national Thomas Tuchel as been appointed England’s next permanent manager
Englishman Graham Potter was overlooked for the job despite being interviewed by the FA
Tuchel has managed the likes of Chelsea, Borussia Dortmund, PSG and Bayern Munich in his career, guiding the former to Champions League glory, while winning domestic titles with the latter two sides.
Potter impressed during his time in charge of Brighton, but struggled during a disastrous seven-month spell at Stamford Bridge, and this appears to have counted against him.
He has not returned to the touchline since being sacked by Chelsea in April 2023.
Meanwhile, Lee Carsley will remain in interim charge for England’s two Nations League fixtures next month, but has also missed out on landing the permanent role.
After England’s 3-1 win over Finland on Sunday, Carsley admitted the nation needs a manager who has won lots of trophies at the helm as he seemed to rule himself out of the running.
He later backtracked on these comments, but it has now been confirmed that Tuchel will succeed Gareth Southgate permanently, with the German set to take over in January.
Lee Carsley also missed out on the permanent job but remains in interim charge for next month’s matches
The FA revealed on Wednesday that Tuchel actually signed his contract last Tuesday, ahead of England’s shock defeat by Greece and subsequent victory in Finland.
Tuchel will be assisted by former Chelsea and Bayern Munich coach Anthony Barry, as he bids to end England’s lengthy wait for a major trophy.
