Thomas Tuchel has confirmed he won’t leave England in the middle of his contract despite his desire to return to club management one day.
The German signed a two-year extension in February that will keep him in charge for Euro 2028, which will be staged mainly in England. He has dismissed the possibility of leaving for a major club before the tournament.
“No release clause and there’s no intention,” Tuchel said. “I signed a contract, I want to stay until the Euros. I want to do the Euros. We have unfinished business.”
This comes as Manchester United are expected to hire Mauricio Pochettino as a replacement for Michael Carrick. Pochettino is currently in the first year of a four-year contract extension he signed with US Soccer after the World Cup, and it appears he is ready to be released for £9m and join United. But Tuchel has no intention of doing something similar.
The 53-year-old said he has enjoyed working with England and believes the relationship with the Football Association’s senior officials has given him the backing needed to build a successful team. Chief executive Mark Bullingham and chief football officer Dan Ashworth have both made their support clear.
“I love my group of players,” Tuchel said. “I love my staff, and I have bosses who trust me and are happy with the way we do things, so it’s a lot.”
He admitted that international management has made him miss the regular demands of club football, where he previously worked with Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea.
“Yes, definitely,” he said when asked if he wanted to return to club management. “I miss the 50 matches. I miss these two minutes when everything is done.”
Tuchel’s immediate focus is securing a strong finish to England’s Nations League group campaign. They face Croatia at Wembley on Thursday before travelling to Spain on Sunday. One point from their final two fixtures would guarantee a place in the top two and qualification for the quarter-finals in March.
The Croatia match will also see Harry Kane break England’s men’s appearance record. Tuchel must, however, make changes to his defence after Marc Guehi withdrew from the squad. Ezri Konsa is unavailable for Thursday’s game but could return against Spain.
Jarell Quansah is expected to feature at right centre-back, with Dan Burn and Jarrad Branthwaite competing for the other position. Tuchel believes Burn’s experience of playing in Newcastle’s high-pressing system could give him an advantage.
“Jarrad is doing very well but it’s a very different style of play for him from Everton towards us,” Tuchel said. “Dan Burn is more used to the style with Newcastle from the last two seasons where they followed in a high press.”
