Thomas Tuchel reveals 'very straightforward' reason he chose England job over Manchester United interest
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
Thomas Tuchel insists he only ever had an interest in taking over as England manager after he was initially approached by the Football Association about the role.
The former Chelsea and Bayern Munich boss has agreed an initial 18-month contract to lead England into the 2026 World Cup at a time when he was considered the favourite to potentially replace Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdManchester United insist Ten Hag's position has never been under any threat despite their difficult start to the new season, but there can be no hiding away from the fact co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe spoke with Tuchel during the summer about a possible managerial role.
United eventually opted to stick with Ten Hag following their end-of-season strategic review and if they decided to make a change anytime soon, they would be without perhaps the most compelling candidate to take charge in the form of Tuchel.
Asked specifically why he chose to takeover as England manager rather than a club like United, he said at his first press conference: "It [United job] would also have been England...Because the idea and the way John and Mark presented it, was very fast, very exciting. It was very confidential, it was very trustful, it was very straightforward. That was basically the decision for this job and not a decision against anything else.
"You will understand I will not comment on individual players today and for sure not comment on any other clubs."
Comment Guidelines
National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.