Thomas Tuchel has insisted he is the man to lead England into the home Euro 2028 tournament, despite facing fierce criticism after the World Cup semi-final defeat to Argentina. The England boss, who has two years left on his £5m-a-year contract, defended his tactics and vowed to improve.
Tuchel's Commitment to England
When asked whether he should remain in charge for Euro 2028, Tuchel said: 'Yes, 100 percent. There is still enough to improve, and I am more than happy to do that.' He added: 'I've loved it here. I loved every day.'
Tuchel acknowledged the need to elevate the team's performance: 'I still feel there is an extra level that we need to conquer and need to step up to the next level to get the big prize.'
Criticism from Wayne Rooney
Former England captain Wayne Rooney led the backlash, slamming Tuchel's substitutions and labelling his tactics as too negative, which he claimed handed victory to Argentina. The criticism came after England blew a golden opportunity to reach the final for the first time in 60 years.
Defending Tactics Against Argentina
Tuchel defended his tactical approach, explaining that he switched to a back five to counter Argentina's wide wingers. However, he admitted his players were too passive. 'I think in this moment my feeling is that no structure in the world could have helped us because we were too passive,' he said.
He also highlighted the difficulty of containing Lionel Messi: 'Crosses will always come in so we will have three central defenders. And of course like in every structure it was important to stay active and push out and step out and fight duels. We just couldn't.'
Physical Struggles and Third-Place Play-Off
Tuchel attributed England's fatigue to players joining up with knocks after a tough club season. 'We struggled physically as well, through the whole tournament playing in the heat, playing in the altitude, playing with a man down and so on. It cost us a lot in the end,' he said.
England now face France in the third-place play-off in Miami on Saturday, less than 72 hours after the semi-final defeat. Tuchel plans to make wholesale changes and use the summer to reflect on the campaign.
