Newly appointed England manager Thomas Tuchel targets World Cup triumph
Thomas Tuchel wants “to put the second star on this shirt”, as the new England head coach set his sights on World Cup glory in 2026.
The 51-year-old was announced as Gareth Southgate’s successor on Wednesday, agreeing an 18-month contract that will begin on January 1.
Former Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Bayern Munich boss Tuchel is the first German to manage the Three Lions, and only the third non-English coach in history after the late Sven-Goran Eriksson and Fabio Capello.
Southgate came within whiskers of ending England’s wait for major international silverware, suffering successive European Championship final defeats against Italy and Spain.
Tuchel, who has also managed Mainz and Borussia Dortmund, is excited to be working with such a talented group of players, and hopes he can help get the group over the winning line.
“I want to put the second star [for a World Cup win] on this shirt,” Tuchel told reporters during his press conference at Wembley. “We will work hard for the biggest target in football, making our dream come true at the World Cup [in] 2026.
“I understood very quickly that it is a big job. I always think the job you are in is the biggest job, and it makes no sense to compare, but it feels big and feels like a privilege.
“I think it is pretty obvious I am very emotional. I love what I am doing and am passionate about football. This role just brought the young me alive and brought back my teenage days, to get excited for such a big task.
“Once I made a time frame up in my mind from January [2025] to the World Cup, I already felt excited.
“It suited my passion to push this group of players, and to be part of this federation with such a strong record in the last tournaments – to push it over the line and to try to put a second star on the shirt.”
Lee Carsley will continue in his role as England’s interim head coach for the remainder of the ongoing Nations League campaign, before Tuchel takes over the reins.
The German also addressed critics believing an Englishman should oversee the national team, believing his previous stint at Chelsea between January 2021 and September 2022 – during which he won the Champions League and Club World Cup – stands him in good stead.
“All of those supporters maybe felt my passion for the English Premier League and the country, and how I love to live and work here,” he added.
“Hopefully, I can convince them and show them and prove to them that I am proud to be an English manager, and do everything to show respect to this role and this country and the target for the next 18 months.
“Everyone can be assured we will do it with passion and emotion. We will try to install values and principles and rules as quickly as possible to make the dream come true.”
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