Thomas Tuchel will hopefully be enjoying a more peaceful Christmas than the one he endured five years ago as he gets set to lead England to the World Cup next year
Thomas Tuchel is looking forward to a well-deserved Christmas break before he begins strategising for the Three Lions’ World Cup campaign.
The England manager and his team now know their group stage opponents, having been drawn against Croatia, Ghana and Panama. However, the festive period might bring back some bitter memories for the German coach, who was sacked from his role at Paris Saint-Germain on Christmas Eve in 2020.
Tuchel, 52, took charge of the French giants in 2018, securing consecutive Ligue 1 titles, the Coupe de France, and guiding PSG to the Champions League final in 2020. Despite these achievements, disagreements with club executives led to his dismissal.
The official announcement of his sacking was delayed by a few days, after Tuchel had been made aware on Christmas Eve. When it finally came, PSG stated that Tuchel had been let go following an “in-depth analysis of its sporting situation”.
PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi expressed his gratitude in a statement: “I would like to thank Thomas Tuchel and his staff for everything they brought to the club.
“Thomas has put a lot of energy and passion into his work, and of course we will remember the good times we shared together. I wish him the best for his future.”
“We missed winning the Champions League by one match,” Tuchel reflected on his stint at Parc des Princes. “And we never had the feeling that we had convinced people and that they recognised our performance.
“Sometimes that makes you a little sad or angry.” He further commented: “During the first six months I was asking myself, ‘Am I still a coach or a minister of sport?'”
PSG eventually replaced Tuchel with ex-Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino, while Christophe Galtier and Luis Enrique have since taken over in Paris. Meanwhile, Tuchel has had quite an adventure since departing France.
He had a successful spell at Chelsea, bagging the Champions League title, before being shown the door once more. His next stop was Bayern Munich, where he clinched the Bundesliga title, only to be dismissed again.
Tuchel took the reins as England boss at the start of this year and has since guided the Three Lions through a perfect qualifying campaign for the 2026 World Cup. That’s left him safe in the knowledge that he’ll be keeping his job this Christmas.