Thomas Tuchel has vowed to stay on as England manager after retaining the support of the Football Association, despite facing heavy criticism following the Three Lions' World Cup semi-final defeat to Argentina.
The German coach, who signed a new two-year contract in February after formally starting his role in January 2025, insisted he will not walk away. Speaking after the match, Tuchel said: "First of all, the World Cup is not over. There is still a match to play that we are not looking forward so much to, but there is still a match to play. Then we keep on going. I have a contract until the home Euros, and I'm looking forward to that, even now [when] it is difficult to look that far ahead."
FA Backs Tuchel Despite Criticism
FA CEO Mark Bullingham expressed devastation at England's shortcomings but reaffirmed support for Tuchel. "Heartbreaking. It is heartbreaking to be so close. The players and Thomas gave it everything today and the squad, coaches and staff could not have worked harder during the tournament," Bullingham said. "I would like to thank them all and also give my heartfelt thanks to our wonderful fans here in the USA and at home. We felt your support every step of the way and we are all so disappointed not to go further."
Tuchel Defends Tactical Decisions
Tuchel faced criticism for his defensive substitutions that allowed Argentina to seize momentum. However, he refused to take full accountability, explaining: "We were not active enough in any structure. We were not active enough in a 4-4-2, in a 5-3-2 or a 5-4-1, active meaning we didn't fight any duels, we couldn't get close anymore to play on the ball, we struggled to defend the crosses and the positioning in the box was better than. We didn't stop the runners into the box, we were not physical enough in the last line. You can get ball possession in any formation, we struggled to stay active, we could not get any ball possession to escape the pressure to turn the momentum around, at the moment, I think of it as a football matter and I'm part of that. I try to solve it from the sideline and yeah, sad and upset about my players because we were close but it is what it is."
Looking Ahead to Home Euros 2028
The 2028 European Championship will be hosted across England, Wales, Scotland and the Republic of Ireland. Matches are scheduled at Wembley, the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the Etihad Stadium, St James' Park, Villa Park, the Hill Dickinson Stadium, Hampden Park, the Principality Stadium and the Aviva Stadium. The final will be staged at Wembley, offering Tuchel a chance to rectify the 2020 defeat to Italy on penalties.
