"I am sorry that I have a German passport" - Thomas Tuchel responds to backlash after appointment as England manager
New England manager Thomas Tuchel, who was appointed after much deliberation by the FA, has responded to the backlash from fans surrounding the news. He has said that he is sorry to hold a German passport but promised to give his best and make sure that England go back to winning titles.
According to Sky Sports' Florian Plettenberg, Tuchel has said that he is proud to be the manager of England. The German also mentioned that he has loved to live in the country in the past. He vowed to do everything to show respect for the job and the nation.
"I am sorry that I have a German passport. All of these supporters felt my passion for the Premier League and the country. I loved to live here. Hopefully I can show them that I am proud to be the English manager and I will do everything to show respect to this job and this country," he said.
Tuchel succeeds Gareth Southgate, under whose leadership England reached the finals of the 2020 and 2024 European Championships. Southgate left after England's defeat in the latter to Spain. Lee Carsley was asked to take over as the caretaker manager.
Thomas Tuchel is expected to provide England with a lot of stability
Tuchel, who has formerly coached Chelsea in the Premier League, knows England and their players really well. This means that he will not find it too difficult to adjust to his new job and is expected to settle in quickly. His crowning moment in English football came in Chelsea's UEFA Champions League win in 2020-21.
After leaving the Blues, he took over at Bayern Munich, and led them to a Bundesliga title in 2022-23. However, a poor string of results saw him being dismissed towards the fag end of the 2023-24 season. Tuchel will hope to put that behind when he becomes England's manager on January 1, 2025.
England are ranked in the second position of the Group 2 table of the UEFA Nations League B at the moment. Tuchel's immediate goal will be to lead the Three Lions to victory in this tournament while preparing for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
