"It blew us away": Tuchel impresses at secret meeting

England v Japan - International Friendly

Thomas Tuchel has clearly impressed FA (Football Association) bosses ahead of his appointment as England manager.

According to The Guardian—citing an extract from the book *Inside England* by Rob Draper and Jonathan Northcroft—Tuchel impressed the decision-makers so much at a secret 2024 meeting in Munich that they subsequently appointed him manager of the Three Lions.

"It's fair to say Thomas blew us away. He presented a PowerPoint plan on how to add a second star to the shirt, detailing every day of the next 18 months at St George's Park," FA chief executive Mark Bullingham said.

Yet it was not just the content that impressed; the German coach also commanded attention with the "passion and eloquence" of his delivery. "It was brilliant." The meeting is said to have taken place in a specially hired room at Munich Airport, with all parties arriving on different flights to avoid attention. Ultimately, Tuchel prevailed over a host of other candidates and got the job.

Bullingham also revealed that the FA had relied on detailed data analysis to identify the ideal candidate, explaining, "There are some amazing things you can do with data, such as seeing which managers are good at developing players, which are good in knockout tournaments, and so on."

Tuchel has recently faced criticism in England.

Technical director John McDermott praised Tuchel, saying: "He brings warmth and clarity. He loves football; he loves English football. He asked me a million questions."

Tuchel took charge of the Three Lions on 1 January 2025, succeeding Gareth Southgate after the latter's side lost to Spain in the 2024 European Championship final.

In twelve matches to date, the former Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich boss has logged nine wins, one draw and two defeats. After a strong start and a perfect World Cup qualifying campaign, Tuchel has faced more criticism in recent months following a 0-1 friendly loss to Japan and a 1-1 draw with Uruguay, results that have also prompted questions about some of his squad selections.

At the World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico, England will face Croatia, Panama and Ghana in Group L.