Thomas Tuchel has explained why he snubbed Manchester United for the England manager’s job, despite being hotly tipped to take over at Old Trafford.
United boss Erik ten Hag is feeling the heat after a nightmare start to the current campaign, breaking his own unenviable record for the Red Devils’ worst ever start to a Premier League season. And with the fallen giants slumped in 14th in the table, Tuchel was in the frame as a possible saviour.
Ten Hag himself confirmed Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s INEOS team spoke with Tuchel at the end of last season – after his side finished a shocking eighth in the league – but ultimately he saved his job with the upset win over Manchester City in the FA Cup final. But now, Tuchel’s set to lead the Three Lions, becoming only the third foreign boss to do so, after Sven-Goran Eriksson and Fabio Capello.
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When quizzed by reporters about choosing England over United, Tuchel opened up. He said: “The idea and the way John [McDermott – technical director at the FA] and Mark [Bullingham – FA chief executive officer] presented it was very fast and confidential.
“It was very straightforward, it was a decision for this job and not against anything else.”
(Image: Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
Despite never having managed at international level, Tuchel admitted to some initial jitters due to the stark contrast with club management. “They made it clear it’s about football and that got me excited,” Tuchel revealed, reports the Mirror.
“I wasn’t sure this was the job for me because the schedule is very different. I always wanted to come back to England, that was my big goal.”
Tuchel expressed his enthusiasm about the new opportunity, saying: “The offer came at the right time and we found a vision to share. Now I have to live up to it. I know there are some trophies and I want to help that happen.”
(Image: The FA via Getty Images)
The former Chelsea manager, who won the Champions League with an upset final victory over Manchester City during his time at Stamford Bridge only to be sacked after only 18 months in charge, is now gearing up to officially start work next year under a deal that’ll run until the 2026 World Cup.
Discussing the terms of his contract, he explained: “It’s 18 months and then we agreed to sit together and we’ll see. I have good experience with 18 months, unfortunately sometimes. I’m working on my long-term game!”
On the decision for the specific timeframe, Tuchel noted: “The last piece of it from me to understand that this is something that can really excite me to the fullest was the timeframe of 18 months but to demand from myself to not lose the focus. It’s a good timeframe because it will help us focus. It is very streamlined.”