Thomas Tuchel held his first press conference since taking the job (Picture: YouTube)
Thomas Tuchel admits he is yet to decide whether he will sing the national anthem as England manager.
The German coach became only the third non-British manager of the England men’s football team after agreeing to become Gareth Southgate’s replacement.
Fans have wondered whether Tuchel would sing God Save the King before matches after interim boss Lee Carsley, who was born in Birmingham but represented Ireland, opted not to.
Sven-Goran Eriksson, the first foreigner to manage England, did have a crack at singing the national anthem despite saying he never ‘mastered’ it, while Fabio Capello decided against it.
Follow our blog for updates as Thomas Tuchel is announced as England manager
Tuchel revealed he had spoken to FA chief Mark Bullingham about the issue, likely due to concerns over a potential backlash if he was seen to be snubbing the national anthem.
The ex-Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund manager is yet to decide his final stance but said he finds God Save the King ‘very moving and touching’.
‘I understood from Mark [Bullingham] that it’s a personal decision first of all if you sing it,’ Tuchel said at his first press conference since taking the job.
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‘There were managers who sang it and others who didn’t. I have not made my decision yet, I want to be very honest with you.
‘You’re anthem is very moving. The English anthem is very moving I experienced it several times at Wembley. Even out with the players in an FA Cup final it was very touching.
‘No matter what decision I take we have a bit of time until March I will always show my respect to the role, to the country and to a very moving anthem.
Tuchel is yet to decide whether he will sing the national anthem (Picture: Getty)
‘I will take a little bit of time for this decision.’
Some fans and pundits have criticised England’s appointment of Tuchel due to his nationality.
Asked if he had a message for unhappy England supporters, Tuchel said: ‘I am sorry I have a German passport.
‘Maybe these supporters felt my passion for the Premier League and the country, how I love to live here and work here.
‘Hopefully, I can convince them and show them how I am proud to be the England manager. I am proud.’
Tuchel was unveiled as the new England manager (Picture: Getty)
Tuchel worked at Chelsea before his recent spell at Bayern Munich and enjoyed much success at Stamford Bridge, winning the Champions League, Club World Cup and Super Cup in 2021.
‘They [the FA] made it clear it’s about football and that got me excited,’ Tuchel added. ‘I wasn’t sure this was the job for me because the schedule is very different.
‘I always wanted to come back to England, that was my big goal. The offer came at the right time and we found a vision to share. Now I have to live up to it. I know there are some trophies and I want to help that happen.’
FA boss Bullingham, meanwhile, said it was a ‘really exciting day for the English game’ as he backed Tuchel to help England end a 60-year wait for a major trophy.
‘This is a really exciting day for the English game,’ he said. ‘We have appointed one of the very best coaches in the world and one of the best young English coaches as his number two.
‘Our aim is always to win a major tournament. We believe Thomas gives us the best possible chance to do that at the next men’s World Cup.
‘We ran a really clear process, we spoke with approximately 10 people throughout. Clearly some were more up for the role than others.
‘We were absolutely delighted to end up with Thomas and we believe he gives us the best chance of winning the World Cup so we believe we’ve got the best candidate for the job.’
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