- Thomas Tuchel spoke at his first press conference on Wednesday afternoon
- His appointment as England’s new manager was confirmed earlier in the day
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Thomas Tuchel delivered a message to England fans unhappy with his appointment at his first press conference since being named the Three Lions’ new permanent manager on Wednesday afternoon.
Tuchel is the third foreign manager to take charge of England after Sven-Goran Eriksson and Fabio Capello, and his appointment has not gone down well in all quarters.
Some fans believe the England manager should always be English, but the 51-year-old German will instead lead the national team into the 2026 World Cup.
Speaking to the media, Tuchel addressed the backlash from some supporters, as he said: ‘I’m sorry, I just have a German passport… but all of these supporters can feel my passion for the English Premier League, how I love to work here, how I love to live here.
‘Hopefully I can convince them I am proud to be an England manager.’
Thomas Tuchel has addressed backlash to his appointment as he becomes England’s third foreign manager
Tuchel jokingly apologised for having a German passport, but insisted he is fully committed to delivering success for England
Interim boss Lee Carsley sparked controversy last month when he refused to sing the national anthem before England’s Nations League matches against Republic of Ireland and Finland.
Having been born and raised in Germany, Tuchel was asked whether he planned to sing God Save The King or follow Carsley’s lead.
Tuchel replied: I understood from [FA CEO] Mark [Bullingham] that it is a personal decision.
‘I have not made my decision yet. I want to be honest with you. Your anthem is very moving.’
Tuchel will not start his role until January, with Carsley set to remain on the touchline for England’s final two Nations League matches against Greece and Republic of Ireland next month.
Tuchel will then take over, and will be assisted by highly-rated English coach Anthony Barry.
Sven-Goran Eriksson was England’s first foreign manager but failed to lead the team to glory
Fabio Capello was England’s second foreign manager, but only got the Three Lions to the last 16 of the 2010 World Cup
The German manager is also reportedly set to raid former club Chelsea by bringing in goalkeeping coach Hilario and a video analyst from the Premier League club.
Once he begins at the start of 2025, the pressure will ramp up on Tuchel with fans desperate for England’s men’s team to finally win a major tournament for the first time since 1966.
He has insisted he is up for the challenge on delivering on the big stage for England as they set their sights on winning in the USA, Mexico and Canada in 2026.
‘I am up for the big challenge, I’m up for this task, I’m up for 18 months with this group and to be part of this amazing federation,’ Tuchel added.
‘These are all the reasons to jump in. The pressure on the personal side, the pressure from the media that could arise if things don’t go so well, it’s not so much a part of the decision-making. I don’t feel it so much.
‘It’s always a privilege, and my love and my passion for the game is always much more than the downside.’
More to follow…
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Read more at DailyMail.co.uk