“It was very straightforward” - Thomas Tuchel explains why he snubbed Manchester United to become England head coach
England boss Thomas Tuchel has revealed the idea behind his decision to join the Three Lions over interested clubs like Manchester United. The German manager admitted that he was keen on returning to England after he was sacked by Chelsea in 2022.
Speaking to the media, Tuchel said that the England FA presented their idea quickly and were very clear about what they wanted. He added that the offer on his table was to focus just on the football side of things with the national team, and that got him excited. He said (via Mirror):
"The idea and the way John [McDermott] and Mark [Bullingham] presented it was very fast and confidential. It was very straightforward, it was a decision for this job and not against anything else. They made it clear it's about football and that got me excited. 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. 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."
Tuchel was appointed in late 2024 but started his work with the England FA in January 2025. He was linked with the Manchester United job when Erik ten Hag was on the verge of getting sacked.
Manchester United told they missed the boat on Thomas Tuchel by Glen Johnson
Glen Johnson spoke to Betfred in October 2024 and said that Manchester United missed the trick by not appointing Thomas Tuchel as Erik ten Hag's replacement. He believes that Tuchel would have been ideal for the Red Devils. He said soon after England hired the German tactician (via Football 365):
"I'm over the moon that he's the manager of England. We have a fantastic squad and now we have a fantastic manager. The boys are going to love working for him and I'd be surprised if he doesn't get the best out of this squad.
"I do believe Man United have missed the boat by not appointing him sooner and I feel bad saying that when there's a manager already in the job, but these top managers don't come around often and the Manchester United job is a tricky one that requires a certain character that can turn that around."
The Red Devils went on to sack Ten Hag in October 2024 and replaced him with Ruben Amorim.
