Thomas Tuchel's words from first press conference as England boss
The Three Lions' new head coach - who will start work in January - faces questions from journalists at Wembley Stadium
Tuchel appointed Three Lions boss
Thomas Tuchel conducted his first press conference as England's new head coach at Wembley Stadium on Wednesday afternoon.
The new Three Lions boss answered questions from journalists ahead of starting work in January 2025.
Here is what he had to say:
Tuchel’s opening remarks:
"I had the chance to read a quote from Pele in the Wembley building, which said, ‘Wembley is the heart, the capital and the cathedral of football’. I think he was absolutely right. I want to take the opportunity to thank the FA, especially Mark [Bullingham] and John [McDermott] 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."
On whether this is his biggest ever job:
"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."
We're at @wembleystadium for a live media conference with Thomas Tuchel and @FA CEO Mark Bullingham 🚨🎙️ https://t.co/vqkejvjyIc
— England (@England) October 16, 2024
On his coaching personality:
"I'm very emotional and I love what I do. I’m passionate about football and this role brought me alive. It’s such a big task working with the Three Lions, playing at Wembley, and everyone can be assured we will do it with passion and by instilling values and principles as quickly as possible to make the dream come true. The qualification process starts in January and we will dive in completely."
On maintaining the culture built by Gareth Southgate:
"We will build on it. Gareth did a fantastic job in terms of sustainability and continuity. Look at the results in tournaments, it’s outstanding consistency. The Under-21s win titles, the younger teams win titles, the women’s team win titles. We are there, the federation is there and it was a big part of taking the job."
On dealing with the different routine of international football:
"Mark and John made very clear what they wanted and that excited me. 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. Within weeks we found a vision to share and it’s an adventure that I’m very happy to be a big part of. There are some trophies missing and I want to help make them happen."
On how England men can take that final step:
“First of all, we are there. The consistency is impressive and it shows we have players who compete in the strongest league in the world day in, day out. We have the ingredients. We fully believe this is the moment to install some football patterns and behaviours that can help push this team over the line. We will need luck and momentum. We will need luck with injuries and maybe some decisions in games. That is a given. But we feel confident we can add something that will help.
“Most importantly, if we speak about our target to add a second star, we have to prove ourselves all the time. We have to live up to those standards.”
On working with Harry Kane again:
“You know how highly I think and feel for Harry and how much I fought to bring him to Bayern Munich. He is already on his way to being a legend of English football.”