Thomas Tuchel has been announced as the new England manager, the Football Association confirmed on Wednesday.
Tuchel, 51, will start work on January 1, with interim manager Lee Carsley remaining in charge for next month's UEFA Nations League double-header against Greece and the Republic of Ireland.
Tuchel's appointment concludes a search by FA chief executive Mark Bullingham and technical director John McDermott, which began in July following Gareth Southgate's decision to resign after England lost the Euro 2024 final. against Spain.
In a statement, Tuchel, former coach of Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Bayern Munich, said: “I am very proud to have had the honor of leading the England team.
“I have long felt a personal connection to football in this country, and it has already given me some incredible moments. Having the opportunity to represent England is a great privilege, and the opportunity to work with this special and talented group of players is very exciting.”
Tuchel's new assistant will be Anthony Barry. The pair originally met at Chelsea before Tuchel convinced Barry to join Bayern in April 2023. Barry, 38, previously worked with Belgium and the Republic of Ireland before recently becoming part of the Portugal backroom under Roberto Martinez.
Tuchel said: “Working closely with Anthony as my assistant coach, we will do everything we can to make England successful and their fans proud. I want to thank the FA, in particular Mark and John, for their trust and I look forward to starting our journey together.”
The FA view Tuchel's arrival as a significant coup given they set themselves the goal of securing a candidate with a “solid track record of results in the Premier League and/or leading international competitions.”
Tuchel has won 11 major honors, including the 2021 Champions League with a Chelsea team that featured several England internationals, including Reece James, Ben Chilwell and Mason Mount, who has since joined Manchester United. Tuchel also worked with England captain Harry Kane at Bayern before his departure at the end of last season.
Sources told ESPN that the FA spoke to several candidates, including Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola. In Wednesday's announcement, the organization stated that Tuchel signed his contract on October 8.
“We are delighted to have hired Thomas Tuchel, one of the best coaches in the world, and Anthony Barry, one of the best English coaches, to support him,” Bullingham said.
“Our recruitment process has been very thorough. Before the Euros we had a contingency plan and outlined exactly the qualities we would look for in a coach.
“Since Gareth resigned, we have worked with the candidate pool, meeting with various coaches and evaluating them against those criteria.
“Thomas was very impressive and stood out for his vast experience and drive. Anthony is a great English talent and also has international experience with the Republic of Ireland, Belgium and Portugal.
“Basically, we wanted to hire a coaching team that would give us the best possible chance of winning a major tournament, and we believe they will do just that. Thomas and the team are focused solely on giving us the best possible chance of winning the 2026 World Cup.
“I would like to thank Lee for stepping up and doing everything we asked of him – he is a very talented coach and an important part of our journey in England. “He will now focus on retaining the U21 Euro title in the summer “These are exciting times for England fans at senior and under-21 level, and we look forward to welcoming Thomas and Anthony when they start work in January.”
Prince William, Prince of Wales, reacted to the news on social media, saying: “Exciting times for England, with a generation of talented players and a new manager taking the reins.
“Thomas, I wish you the best of luck. We're all rooting for you! W.”
