Thomas Tuchel broke his silence on recent links to Manchester United as he prepares to become Gareth Southgate's successor at England.
Tuchel sat down at Wembley Stadium alongside FA CEO Mark Bullingham for his first press conference as the Three Lions' new boss. The former Bayern Munich manager spoke about his passion for English soccer, from the national team to the Premier League, opening himself up to an inevitable question about Manchester United.
The 51-year-old was asked, "Why [did you choose] England over, say, Manchester United who you've been strongly linked with?"
Tuchel jokingly replied, "[That] would have still been England" before taking some time to think through his true response.
"Because the idea and the way John [McDermott] and Mark presented it was very fast, very exciting, and it was very confidential," he said. "It was very trustful. It was very straightforward. It was basically a decision for this job and not a decision against anything else."
"You will understand that I will not comment on individual players today and for sure not comment, like always, on any other clubs," he ended.
Tuchel's agreement with England comes after the ex-Chelsea manager was rumored to be a replacement for Erik ten Hag. It is no secret the Red Devils are underperforming under Ten Hag and could be in the market for a new boss if they do not turn the tide soon. Through seven Premier League games, Untied sits in 14th place with only eight points, a new club record.
Instead of possibly returning to the EPL and revitalizing United, Tuchel opted to replace Southgate and lead the Three Lions ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. England finished as the runner-up at Euro 2020 and Euro 2024, but the FA is confident Tuchel can be the man to get the team over the line.
Tuchel will assume his new role on Jan. 1, 2025, leaving interim boss Lee Carsley to finish out the year with England.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Thomas Tuchel Reveals Why He Chose 'Exciting' England Job Over Man Utd.