Opposition mounts against German Tuchel’s appointment as England manager

The English Football Association, as reported by Diaspora Digital Media on Wednesday, has appointed Thomas Tuchel as the new manager of the English senior men’s national team.

The German coach, known for his previous stints with top clubs like Chelsea and Bayern Munich, has signed an 18-month contract.

Despite his reputation of managing top clubs and winning trophies including the UEFA Champions League trophy with Chelsea, the German’s appointment has attracted a barrage of criticisms, with many citing his nationality as reason.

Germany and England are fierce rivals in football. Fierce encounters have taken place between both nations over the decades.

The England-Germany rivalry extends beyond football, and is rooted in complex historical events, particularly the two World Wars.

During World War I (1914-1918), England and Germany found themselves on opposing sides, with Germany’s invasion of Belgium drawing Britain into the conflict.

This led to massive losses, with over 700,000 British soldiers dying, and similar casualties on the German side.

The war also crippled Germany’s economy, resulting in widespread poverty and resentment.

The two nations again clashed during World War II (1939-1945), as Nazi Germany’s aggressive expansionism prompted Britain to declare war.

Key events included The Blitz, Germany’s bombing campaign that targeted British cities and killed thousands, and D-Day and Normandy, where Allied forces, including British troops, landed in Nazi-occupied France.

The war culminated in Berlin’s fall, with British and Soviet forces capturing the city, leading to Germany’s surrender.

The aftermath saw occupation and reconstruction efforts by Allied powers, including Britain, and Cold War divisions, with Germany split into East and West.

DDM Correspondent monitored a sports phone-in programme on BBC 5 Live on Wednesday night, as many callers expressed their displeasure over the appointment.

Citing national pride and agelong feud with Germany as reason for their apathy, some of them albeit admitted that Tuchel is a top-class manger.

Joining voices with English fanbase are two notable football icons: Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher.

Carragher and Neville, critical of the Tuchel appointment

They believe that the FA could have looked at homegrown options instead.

In an interview with Sky Sports, monitored by DDM, Carragher said: “my feeling is that the whole point of international football, certainly with the major nations who compete for the tournaments, is that it’s your best versus their best.

“Club football is different and we love it, with different nationalities and different coaches in the Premier League or at the Champions League level. It’s a real mix.

“The thing that makes international football different to the club game is it is people from your country. I know that’s skewed a little bit with players who maybe aren’t born in the country or it goes back to their grandparents.”

However, the former Liverpool defender believes that the FA should have continued to back English managers after Southgate’s success.

“When I think of England, we are so close to winning a major tournament with so much good work that has gone into producing these players at St George’s Park, it just doesn’t feel right to me that we have a foreign coach,” he said.

“It’s not just about England – I don’t think Italy should, I don’t think Germany should, I don’t think France should. Portugal have it at the moment with Roberto Martinez which I find strange. That’s my take on it. I’m not bothered either way. I must be perfectly honest, I’m not the most patriotic of people. It’s not just about ‘the England manager has to be this’. I’m not going to lose any sleep over it. England have got a brilliant manager but I think England should have an English manager.”

Meanwhile, although Gary Neville hailed the FA for signing a proven champion in Tuchel, he raised questions about the future of English coaches.

“They’ve got a great coach, there’s no doubt,” Neville said. “Thomas Tuchel has a proven track record; he’s proven he can win big knockout matches. So, from that point of view, I don’t think the FA can be criticised. They’ve probably got the best available coach in Europe or the world at this moment in time. So fitting that criteria absolutely, they are spot on.”

However, he also shared his apprehensions and added: “I’m not sure it fits the criteria of St George’s Park and the belief in English coaches, the actual growth in the English team’s performance including the women’s and youth teams, St George’s Park was going to be a hotbed of proving English coaches could get to the top in Europe.

“It’s difficult for English coaches to get the top jobs in the Premier League and that’s rightly so, we’ve got some of the best clubs in the world.

“Now it’s gone to an international manager and it’s not really about Thomas Tuchel but there is an element of disappointment in my head thinking about the fact that the FA have gone to an international coach.”

While Tuchel will not take over until January 2025, England still have important matches to navigate with interim manager Lee Carsley set to lead the Three Lions against Greece and Ireland in crucial Nations League games in November.

This means Tuchel’s first match in charge will come during the March 2025 international break, where he will begin guiding England through their bid for World Cup glory in 2026.

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