Some might see this as a problem of the rich. The appointment of Thomas Tuchel as head of the England team continues to generate a lot of ink about the perfidious Albion. On the other side of the Channel, seeing a new foreign coach take the reins of the Three Lions (for the first time since the end of the Capello era in 2012, editor’s note) is not happening. Tackled even before the official announcement of his induction, the German had to justify himself during the presentation press conference. “I’m sorry I have a German passport. Perhaps these supporters sensed my passion for the Premier League and the country, how much I love living and working here. I hope I can convince them and show them how proud I am to be England manager. I’m proud.” Not enough to calm the critics.
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Foreigners defend Tuchel
Present at his side, the general director of the English federation (FA), Mark Bullingham, also had to explain the reasons which had pushed the FA to favor the Tuchel track. “We interviewed around ten people, including a few English candidates. We had put in place a very clear recruitment plan before the Euro. John McDermott (the FA technical director, editor’s note) and the team developed the ideal profile of an international coach and a shortlist if we needed one. After Gareth resigned, we executed this plan, meeting and evaluating potential candidates.» Since then, foreign Premier League coaches have publicly supported TT. Starting with Erik ten Hag (Manchester United). “I think it’s a very good choice by the FA. He is a high-level manager, he has proven himself. England have world-class players. They have the possibility of winning big tournaments”declared the Batavian, imitated in the process by Manchester City coach, Pep Guardiola.
To read
England: Pep Guardiola congratulates Thomas Tuchel
“The UK FA has chosen a foreign coach with known and recognized talent and I wish him the best. I will support him unconditionally because he will best represent your country, for his knowledge, his wisdom to do the best. If he wins, it will be good for him and if he loses, he will be criticized. It doesn’t matter whether he’s a foreigner or not. (…) Mom and Dad decide at certain times and nine months later, we are here. I didn’t decide to be Catalan, you didn’t decide to be English, it’s a reality. (…) I know we are proud of where we were born, of where we live, of the education we received, but the world is so big that we have to be open-minded . (…) Look at what is happening today throughout the world, the wars, because you believe that you are better than the other. This is happening in Russia, Israel, Ukraine, Gaza and many places in Africa. It’s terrible. Just because we think we’re better than the other. We are not. »
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Several English coaches snubbed
Beautiful words meant to calm the spirits and support an open mind? Not really. The English media are still raising eyebrows over this appointment and especially over one of the FA’s statements. The one where the federation claims to have surveyed around ten coaches, including several English coaches. You will have understood, the local journalists want to know which English coaches were contacted. They therefore took advantage of a conference by Eddie Howe, the Newcastle coach, to directly ask one of the most highly rated English technicians if he had been approached by the FA. “No, I wasn’t. (…) I have always said that you can never predict what will happen when it comes to your coaching career, you can never plan too far in advance. At least that’s what I do. But I will never say that managing England is not something I would like to do one day if given the opportunity, but my focus is on Newcastle, Newcastle, Newcastle. (…) When I was a child, I loved the World Cups. I loved the European Championships. I was obsessed with the idea that England could win something. »
Why wasn’t Howe probed? THE Daily Mail rightly points out that the compensatory compensation of around €15 million that the FA should have paid to the Magpies represents a logical obstacle to this path. However, the tabloid and the Telegraph claim Howe is on a list of seven English coaches who have not even been surveyed by the FA. So, in addition to Howe, Graham Potter, Sean Dyche, Frank Lampard, Gary O’Neil, Steve Cooper and Russell Martin would feature in this list. On paper, not all of these coaches have a CV as prestigious as that of Thomas Tuchel. None have coached big clubs such as Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich, PSG or Chelsea. None have won the Champions League either. But for the English media, it is difficult to ignore this debate linked to nationality. At least TT is set on his fate. He better win, and quickly.
Pub. the 18/10/2024 20:01
Update 18/10/2024 21:59
