Thomas Tuchel has indicated he is open to remaining as England manager beyond next year's World Cup, stating that his future does not hinge solely on winning the tournament. The German, who took over in October on a short-term contract until after the finals, said the role has rejuvenated him after demanding spells at Bayern Munich and Chelsea.
Speaking after naming his squad for upcoming matches against Serbia and Albania, Tuchel described an extension as “a possibility” but stressed he is relaxed about discussing it before the World Cup. He cited Fabio Capello's pre-2010 contract renewal, which preceded a disastrous last-16 exit, as a cautionary tale about distractions.
Tuchel, who has already secured England's World Cup qualification, made clear that his tenure should not be judged solely on whether he delivers the country's first world title since 1966. “It will be a huge distraction if I give you a certain level that is a minimum demand to myself,” he said. “I think we all understand that when it comes to knockout football it’s: ‘How do we go out?’”
The 51-year-old added that fans would understand if England exited with pride and a top performance, contrasting that with a scenario where the team “could have done better” or were “drinking”. He said: “I am the first one to agree that titles matter … and still feel the fans will understand if we go out with pride.”
Tuchel revealed his contract contains no performance-related clauses that would automatically trigger an extension, and he would not rule out signing a new deal before the tournament. “I feel re-energised and I love to work with the players and be close to the Premier League,” he said. “The best thing, the big tournament, is yet to come.”
