A ‘desperate’ England have been mocked by a German newspaper editor over their appointment of Thomas Tuchel – after turning to a ‘German father’.
Tuchel’s appointment was confirmed on Wednesday morning, with the former Bayern Munich manager taking charge of the Three Lions from early January next year.
He is the third foreign man to take charge of the Three Lions, after Sven Goran-Eriksson and Fabio Capello, and will earn £6million a year for his World Cup-winning duties in the box.
After a spell at Chelsea, where he won the Champions League, he moved to Bayern Munich and also spent time as boss of Borussia Dortmund in his home country.
However, his appointment has been mocked by Bild editor Matthias Brugelmann, who claims England are turning to a German manager, showing their desperation for success.
The German newspaper Bild has ridiculed England for the appointment of Thomas Tuchel
Tuchel has had a mixed time in Germany during his career. most recently failed to win the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich
FA CEO Mark Bullingham said Tuchel ‘stood out’ as a candidate ‘with his vast expertise and his drive’
“Let’s talk about Thomas Tuchel and the English,” Brugelmann wrote. ‘The motherland of football gets a German father. Crazy!
‘Since 1966 – since 1966!!!! – the proud football nation has been waiting for a title (and sorry, even the World Cup victory was only possible because the referee made a mistake in the Wembley goal). So soon 60 years without a title. In that time we have become world champions three times and European champions three times. Oops.
‘The desperation on the island must be enormous if they admit that only a German can help now. What a tribute to Tuchel and German football that the English overcome their fears despite the enormous rivalry.’
England and Germany are traditional rivals and have featured in numerous classic encounters over the years, including the 1966 World Cup final, a World Cup match in 2010 and another thriller at Euro 2020.
But that has been looked past on this occasion, with FA CEO Mark Bullingham saying Tuchel ‘stood out with his enormous expertise and his drive’ and Tuchel pointing to ‘a personal connection with the game in this country’ as a key factor in his decision. .
However, Brugelmann warned Tuchel that he must change if he is to succeed with England, in what is regularly dubbed one of the most unforgiving roles in the game.
‘Tuchel has to change!’ he wrote. ‘He must quickly shake off the thin skin with which he responded to criticism at, for example, Bayern. Compared to the tough, ruthless British TV pundit that surrounds it [Jamie] Carragher, [Gary] Neville & [Gary] Liner, [Didi] Hamann and [Lothar] Matthaus was a kindergartener.
The German managed Borussia Dortmund earlier in his career before moving to England
During his time at Chelsea he won the Champions League before taking over at Bayern Munich
He also met Prince William, the future King of England, during his time as a blues boss
The likes of Eddie Howe have been linked with the job, but Tuchel will become the men’s team’s third foreign boss
‘The quality of the team around it [Harry] Kane and [Jude] Bellingham is great. In addition to Spain, Germany, Argentina and France, England is the title candidate for 2026. But until then [Julian] Nagelsmann was celebrated for reaching the quarter-finals of the European Championship (with Germany), after decades of frustration and tears all that matters is the title. Nothing else.
‘Tuchel can become immortal. It is understandable that the job appeals to him.’
The likes of Eddie Howe and Graham Potter have been suggested as potential candidates for the role, but Tuchel will be the Three Lions’ first foreign boss since Capello left in 2012.