Thomas Tuchel will NOT attend England games in November despite taking manager's job
Thomas Tuchel has officially been appointed as England's new permanent head coach, though he will remain a spectator for the two Nations League matches in November
by Jacob Leeks · The MirrorThomas Tuchel will not attend either of England's two Nations League games in November despite being officially appointed the Three Lions' new head coach.
Tuchel has signed an 18-month contract with the FA to become the permanent successor to Gareth Southgate. He will not take up his role until January though, with interim boss Lee Carsley leading the team through their final Nations League fixtures.
Those games will come next month, when the Three Lions travel to Athens to face Greece before hosting the Republic of Ireland at Wembley. England currently sit second in their group having won three and lost one of their opening four games.
If they finish top, they will be automatically promoted back into League A. But if they remain second in the group, they will feature in play-offs in March to decide promotion.
Despite that, according to The Athletic, Tuchel will not be in attendance at either the clash with Greece or the visit of Ireland. The FA have insisted that the January start date has been chose so Tuchel could have a singular focus on the World Cup qualification campaign.
The draw for qualifying will take place on 13 December in Switzerland, though it is unknown if Tuchel will be attending that either. If England are drawn in a group of five, the first games will take place in the March break.
But if they are drawn in a group of four, their first qualifying match will not come until next September. The group stage will run until the end of November, before play-offs for second-place teams in March 2026.
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Tuchel has set his sights on winning the 2026 World Cup, which will take place in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The German has insisted his short contract will work well for all parties.
"I want to take the opportunity to thank the FA for their trust. I’m very excited to start this journey in January with the staff at St. George’s Park and of course a special group of players to make our dream come true in America," he said.
"It does not make a lot of sense to compare but it feels big, it is a privilege. It is new because I come from club football so the rhythm is new, which is exciting. I was very open to that. The timeframe, from January through to the World Cup, is very exciting and suits my drive to push this group of players.
"We have a strong record in tournaments and now we aim to push it over the line and put a second star on our shirt. Gareth did a fantastic job in terms of sustainability and continuity. Look at the results in tournaments, it’s outstanding consistency.
"I was not sure before we had the first talk because the schedule is very different but we found so many similarities in approach and hunger to achieve something special. I have the best memories of the country and the league, the attitude of the players and the supporters."
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