Chief who gave Thomas Tuchel big managerial break explains what sets new England boss apart
Thomas Tuchel has been appointed as the new England boss on an 18-month contract and the German has been given the backing of one of his former bosses to succeed with the Three Lions
by Daniel Orme · The MirrorThomas Tuchel will “elevate” his England stars as he attempts to end the nation’s long wait for a trophy, his former boss has claimed.
The former Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich boss was unveiled as Gareth Southgate’s long-term successor earlier this week. He has penned an 18-month deal with the FA.
And now, Mainz 05 CEO Christian Heidel has now revealed exactly what he could bring to the Three Lions. Heidel handed Tuchel his first-ever managerial job in senior football after promoting him to the Bundesliga club’s head coach in 2009 having previously served as their under-19 coach.
“Thomas has a brilliant way of reading the games, his tactical analyses are spot-on,” Heidel said. “Aside from his tactical prowess, one of his greatest assets is that he can develop talent and elevate any player to a higher level.
“Working as a national coach might be a huge advantage for him as well, as he now does not have to deal with some of the struggles that come with working in a club setting, such as transfers or funds, which often times can lead to discord.
“I am certain the chances of winning trophies have only increased for England with the appointment of Thomas. He is an outstanding coach who has an outstanding squad of players at his disposal.”
Tuchel, 51, has already had the chance to explain his ambitions with England during his 18 months at the helm. Speaking at a press conference, he revealed that all eyes are on the 2026 World Cup, and has urged his players to harness their trophy-laden experiences with their clubs on the international stage.
Tuchel said: “I think first of all, they are there. We are there. The group of players have proved that they are there. The consistency of quarter-final, semi-final, finals is impressive.
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“And it shows that we have players who compete in the strongest league in the world, day in, day out. So we have the ingredients. And we fully trust that this is the moment to install maybe also from club football patterns, behaviours, principals that can maybe help to push the team over the line.
“We will need luck, we will need the momentum, we will need to be lucky, not to have injuries and so on, little decisions within the games, that is a given. But we feel confident to add something from our experience in club football that can maybe help.
“But most important is… even if we speak out now very openly about what the target is, about the second star… we have to prove ourselves all the time. We are a national player every single day, I will be a national coach every single day and not only when a camp is.
“So we have to live up to these standards but I am very confident that everybody is used to that so this is what I demand from myself and then we need to show it in qualification and build an atmosphere with supporters and the country that extra special things can happen.”
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