Inside England manager Thomas Tuchel’s amazing rise, from clothes model and barman to Three Lions’ first German boss
MOVE over Jack Grealish because Thomas Tuchel ALSO boasts model looks, as this incredible photoshoot shows.
The German coach, 51, has been confirmed as the new manager of England – signing an 18-month contract worth £5million-per-year.
Before Thomas Tuchel was England manager, he starred in this fashion photoshoot
Tuchel appeared in his first press conference as England manager on Wednesday
He said in a statement: “I am very proud to have been given the honour of leading the England team.
“I have long felt a personal connection to the game in this country, and it has given me some incredible moments already.
“To have the chance to represent England is a huge privilege, and the opportunity to work with this special and talented group of players is very exciting.
“Working closely with Anthony [Barry] as my assistant coach, we will do everything we can to make England successful and the supporters proud.
“I want to thank the FA, in particular Mark and John, for their trust and I am looking forward to starting our journey together.”
Tuchel has enjoyed an incredible rise in the game as a tactician, after his professional football career came to a premature end at 24 through injury.
Instead, he worked in a bar in Stuttgart, initially collecting glasses and wiping tables, before graduating to making Mojitos.
He juggled his job as a barman while returning to education to do Business Studies.
Tuchel, desperate to return to football, contacted ex-Man Utd boss Ralf Rangnick who guided him towards a coaching career.
No sooner had he established his name in Germany, he starred in a glossy photoshoot for a fashion magazine.
Fashionista
In 2017, Tuchel shocked German football by appearing in a ZEITmagazin MANN as a model.
His 6ft4in beanpole figure adorned the stylish clothes he wore.
One image showed a pensive Tuchel looking into the distance, Zoolander ‘Blue Steel’ style, in a black and white pinstripe whistle.
Another picture saw the unlikely mannequin dressed in a long black coat with a white shirt underneath and short cropped black trousers.
Studious, moody, and a purveyor of the beautiful game – Tuchel looked the part.
In his interview with ZEITmagazin MANN, he spoke about his job at the hipster Radio Bar in Stuttgart.
“I don’t want to have drunk the cocktails that I mixed at the beginning,” he laughed.
“I slowly developed a new self-confidence in the bar, shift by shift, evening after evening.
The shoot shocked German football and showed a different side to Tuchel
Tuchel in action for SSV Ulm in 1996, where he would have to retire as a player
“I had overcome the inhibition threshold of asking strangers if they needed me. And suddenly I made the experience: ‘Your colleagues just like you for who you are, they have no idea that you were once a professional footballer.’”
Unfinished business
Despite Tuchel’s best efforts of launching himself into academia and being a customer-pleaser in a trendy dive bar, he felt he had unfinished business with football.
His retirement in 1998 didn’t diminish the flame burning inside him to succeed in the game in some way.
He contacted then-Stuttgart boss Ralf Rangnick, who at the time was head of sport and development at Red Bull GmbH, for a trial with the club’s reserves – believing he was fit to play after nine months without kicking a ball.
However, chronic cartilage damage saw Tuchel unable to show his true potential.
But Rangnick was impressed with Tuchel’s tactical knowledge. He invited him to shadow coaches in the club academy, until the young student took over the U14 team in 2000.
Tuchel now had his foot in the door.
Tuchel worked as a barman in Radio Bar as he contemplated what to do next
A career at Stuttgarter Kickers was cut short by a knee injury
From Barman to Bundesliga coach in nine years
Astonishingly, the ambitious coach went from that Radio Bar job to coaching a Bundesliga side in just nine years.
At Stuttgart, under mentor Hermann Badstuber, father of ex-Bayern Munich star Holger, he eventually became assistant coach for the U19s, where he helped the side win the U19 Bundesliga title in 2005.
In 2006, he joined FC Augsburg, a team he spent his youth career with as a player.
It was a setting that allowed Tuchel to complete his coaching badges and become reserve team manager.
Not content there, he moved to Mainz in 2008 to coach their U19 side.
He was a resounding success, winning the youth title and nurturing talent that would serve the German national team well in the future, including World Cup winner Andre Schurrle.
His work didn’t go unnoticed by the German FA, who offered him the opportunity to coach their U21 side.
However, when Mainz boss Jorn Andersen was fired the club turned to Tuchel to take over the reins. He had secured his dream job as a Bundesliga manager.
Tuchel became a student of the game at Mainz where he coached the academy stars
Tuchel’s journey began as a youth coach where he scored success before coaching the first team
Mainz won the U19 Bundesliga title under Tuchel
Success story
Those early years of disappointment and hard graft moulded Tuchel into the man he is today.
Forever ambitious, his successes were the reason England hired him. Simply, they wanted a coach who has won things.
In his first role, he took lowly Mainz to fifth spot and Europa League qualification. The first time the club ever qualified in Europe.
At Borussia Dortmund he was handed the tough task of following in Jurgen Klopp’s shoes
Young stars like Christian Pulisic and Ousmane Dembele were nurtured under his watch, which could bode well for lion cubs Kobbie Mainoo, Cole Palmer, and Rico Lewis.
Despite winning the German cup, Tuchel was fired after disagreements with the hierarchy three days later in 2017.
After his fashion turn in ZEITmagazin MANN, he took on the role of PSG boss – showing he can manage superstars like Neymar and Kylian Mbappe without any major fallouts with players.
In his final season with the French club he won the treble. But, after several disagreements with sporting director Leonardo, he was fired again.
Chelsea came calling, which ignited Tuchel’s love for the English game.
ANDY DILLON: Thomas Tuchel has all the ingredients to become a classic England manager – tactical nous, drive and a tangled love life
By Andy Dillon
THOMAS TUCHEL possesses all the ingredients to become a classic England manager.
Tactical nous, drive, energy, experience – a tangled love life.
English football should welcome back the most explosive, dynamic, charismatic and impossibly tall and gangly coach to have lit up the Premier League.
Chelsea’s colourful former boss has been leading a settled life in Munich of late.
Far enough away from ex-wife Sissi but close enough to see his two daughters.
Walking his dog in the streets in the east of Germany’s most fashionable city, residing in the posh Bogenhausen area. Living relatively quietly with his Brazilian girlfriend.
Tuchel is a vastly different personality to the man who led England quietly but assuredly to the brink of World Cups and European Championships.
An excitable nature can make him hard to handle for those seeking calm and who like to impose their way on a manager they view very much as an underling.
Read more on why Tuchel REALLY IS the best man for the England job
Serial winner celebrates winning the German cup with Borussia Dortmund
During his time at PSG, Tuchel was able to handle superstars like Kylian Mbappe and Neymar
As Chelsea boss, Tuchel helped the West London side lift the Champions League
Tuchel will be reunited with Harry Kane with England after they worked together at Bayern Munich
He brought the West Londoners European glory in his 20-month spell – winning the Champions League.
Tuchel also delivered the Bundesliga for Bayern Munich in his first season, however he couldn’t repeat the trick in his second campaign.
England now have a man who has won things at the highest level at the helm. No excuses now.
