Tuchel says he wants to bring more ‘excitement and joy’ to England ahead of first game in charge
Thomas Tuchel says England played without an identity at Euro 2024 and looked scared of being knocked out of the tournament.
Tuchel will take charge of England for the first time on Friday when they face Albania in a World Cup qualifier.
The former Chelsea and Bayern Munich boss was appointed as the permanent successor to Gareth Southgate, who guided England to the final of Euro 2024, and also Euro 2020.
But Tuchel says he wants to make England more exciting to watch than they have been previously.
Asked if England played with a clear identity last summer, Tuchel told ITV Sport: “Not last summer, no.”
Pushed on what was missing, he continued: “The identity, the clarity, the rhythm, the repetition of patterns. The freedom of players, the expression of players, the hunger.
“They were more afraid to drop out of the tournament, in my observation, than having the excitement and hunger to win it.”
Expanding on those comments in his pre-match press conference before the game against Albania, Tuchel said: “It was just my feeling and my feedback. It was my feeling a long, long time before I knew I may be in charge.
“I think it’s a pretty clear statement and I don’t know how to put it in other words.
“I think it has to be the other way around. I want us to play with the excitement and the hunger and the desire and the joy to win.
“The acceptance of failure is a part of it especially in football but we all want to implement the joy and togetherness where everyone feels safe to express themselves and give their very best. That it’s recognisable that we play with the hunger and joy to win and not with the fear to lose.
“Anything can happen in football, we know this, but the focus is on winning, is on a higher number of touches in the opponents box, a higher number of attacks, a higher number of high ball recoveries. This is where the focus is.”
Topics
-
Kane excited by England reunion with Tuchel
Harry Kane has said he is excited to reunite with former Bayern Munich manager Thomas Tuchel with England.Tuchel will take charge of England for the first time when the Three Lions begin their 2026 ...Yahoo Sports - 17h -
Tuchel: England were afraid to lose at Euro 2024
Thomas Tuchel has said he believes England struggled to produce consistent performances at Euro 2024 as the players were more afraid of being knocked out of the tournament than they were focused to ...ESPN - 8h -
England need hunger to win not fear to lose - Tuchel
England manager Thomas Tuchel says he wants the team to play with a "hunger to win" and not "a fear to lose" as he prepares for his first match in charge of the Three Lions on Friday.BBC News - 18h -
Tuchel takes first steps on England journey targeting World Cup glory
Over five months on from Thomas Tuchel's appointment as England's new manager, the German will finally take charge of the team for the first time in Friday's World Cup qualifier against Albania at ...Yahoo Sports - 1d -
‘Light on leadership’: Kane joins Tuchel in criticising England at Euro 2024
New head coach says Southgate’s side had ‘no identity’ Captain believes Jordan Henderson will help guide squad Thomas Tuchel has delivered a scathing assessment of England’s performance under ...The Guardian - 9h -
“I was Surprised!” – Former England Star Reacts to Thomas Tuchel’s First Squad and Appointment
Former England Star Reacts to Thomas Tuchel’s ‘Surprising’ First England SquadWe’re now just days away from Thomas Tuchel’s first game in charge of the England national team with his recent ...Yahoo Sports - 1d -
Thomas Tuchel orders England players to talk more with each other on pitch
More communication wanted in difficult moments Tuchel shows squad Euro 2024 final interactions graph Thomas Tuchel has demanded that England’s players speak to one another more during difficult ...The Guardian - 1d -
Thomas Tuchel eviscerates Gareth Southgate’s England
Thomas Tuchel has given a damning assessment of England’s performance at the European Championship last summer, saying they lacked “identity” and “hunger”.Yahoo Sports - 18h -
What to look out for from Tuchel's first England squad
Who will Thomas Tuchel pick in his first England squad? BBC Sport looks at his options with form and fitness key factors.BBC News - Mar. 13
More from Yahoo Sports
-
F1 Chinese GP LIVE: Sprint qualifying updates and times as Lando Norris eyes pole
Follow latest updates from the Shanghai International Circuit ahead of the first sprint race of the seasonYahoo Sports - 54m -
Arsenal complicate Barcelona’s plans by making key target a summer priority – report
A new transfer battle is brewing ahead of the summer window, as Arsenal have entered the race for Liverpool’s Luis Diaz, a player who has also been identified as a priority target for Barcelona. Ac...Yahoo Sports - 1h -
The numbers that suggest Manchester United Women have been overperforming
“It’s a strange one, really strange,” said Marc Skinner after Manchester United’s 3-1 defeat against Liverpool last week. For large parts of the first half, United dominated possession, were in ...Yahoo Sports - 1h -
Italy boss Luciano Spalletti on Arsenal’s Riccardo Calafiori: “His knee feels strange”
Arsenal could be dealt with an injury blow before the restart of the season, as Riccardo Calafiori seems to have picked up a knee problem.The defender had started for Italy against Germany ...Yahoo Sports - 1h -
Emma Raducanu vs Emma Navarro start time and how to watch Miami Open match
Raducanu enjoyed a comfortable victory in the first round but now faces the eighth seed in MiamiYahoo Sports - 1h
More in Sports
-
F1 Chinese GP LIVE: Sprint qualifying updates and times as Lando Norris eyes pole
Follow latest updates from the Shanghai International Circuit ahead of the first sprint race of the seasonYahoo Sports - 54m -
Arsenal complicate Barcelona’s plans by making key target a summer priority – report
A new transfer battle is brewing ahead of the summer window, as Arsenal have entered the race for Liverpool’s Luis Diaz, a player who has also been identified as a priority target for Barcelona. Ac...Yahoo Sports - 1h -
The numbers that suggest Manchester United Women have been overperforming
“It’s a strange one, really strange,” said Marc Skinner after Manchester United’s 3-1 defeat against Liverpool last week. For large parts of the first half, United dominated possession, were in ...Yahoo Sports - 1h -
Italy boss Luciano Spalletti on Arsenal’s Riccardo Calafiori: “His knee feels strange”
Arsenal could be dealt with an injury blow before the restart of the season, as Riccardo Calafiori seems to have picked up a knee problem.The defender had started for Italy against Germany ...Yahoo Sports - 1h -
Emma Raducanu vs Emma Navarro start time and how to watch Miami Open match
Raducanu enjoyed a comfortable victory in the first round but now faces the eighth seed in MiamiYahoo Sports - 1h