England manger Thomas Tuchel making ‘brilliant impact’ – FA chief Bullingham
Mark Bullingham, head of the Football Association, said Thomas Tuchel had made an “absolutely excellent impact” since becoming England’s men’s manager.
Tuchel appointed the successor to Gareth Southgate in October from October 1st.
The German will be responsible for his first match in the first match on March 21, when England faced Albania in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
“Thomas has made an absolutely great influence, he really energized the team and incorporated some of his own into our existing team, and they have performed very well,” Bringham told BBC sports editor Dan Roan.
“He has made great connections with the players, he has been to many games. He is full of energy and it’s going well.
“His long list has 55 players and make sure he has a strong connection with them so they know he has seen them.
“What he has seen is not only the players in England, but the players playing abroad. In the long run, that only keeps us in good shape.
“Garres (Southgate) is very, very close and very smart, and Thomas is the same.
“He realized early on that you wouldn’t make those connections in 60 days (in training camps for the season).
“So he put in a lot of effort (to engage with the players) for that.”
Although Bullingham clarified that Tuchel is headquartered in St George’s Park and lives in London, the FA has been criticized for allowing Tuchel to work partly remotely.
He added: “We are very happy with the work he did. We feel like he has run and has done a great job.”
“We have two coaches who are not English (Tacher of the Dutch and Lioness manager Salina Wigman), who both have the opportunity to go home occasionally.
“We are hiring Thomas to inspire the team and win the game, and we think he will do that.”
On Tuchel’s future beyond the 2026 World Cup, Bullingham said: “He always said ‘I might have been here for 10 years, but I’ll only sign for a two-year cycle.
“He just wants to focus on the next game and hopes the players are all in mind.”
Bringham added that he is changing the FA’s coaching education team so that those who pass the coaching pathway “will need the support they need to get the highest jobs in club football, which qualifies them for jobs in England”.
