The Football Association (FA) has insisted that Thomas Tuchel will remain England manager until at least Euro 2028, even if he leads the Three Lions to World Cup glory.
FA Chief Executive Mark Bullingham acknowledged that top clubs could attempt to lure the German coach away if England win the World Cup, but stressed that the FA expects Tuchel to honour his contract. “I think he could always get approaches. I’m sure his agent could get phone calls,” Bullingham said. “So, I think that’s a reality for any top performer in any walk of life. And I think if we were to win, we’d not be in a position where we would want anything other than him to coach us into 2028 and we’ve got him for that tournament. He’s very happy with us. We’re very happy with him. So, I don’t see it as a risk. But I’m not saying those approaches won’t happen because they could.”
Bullingham also revealed that the FA has the ability to hold Tuchel to the terms of his contract. When asked whether the England boss had a break clause allowing him to leave, he replied: “We can hold him to that contract.”
Tuchel recently agreed an extension that keeps him in charge through to Euro 2028, with the FA viewing continuity as crucial ahead of the tournament, which will be hosted across the UK and Ireland.
However, Bullingham suggested that the FA retains performance-related protections within the agreement if results fall below expectations. “There’s performance clauses in every single contract with the FA. I’m not going to go into any detail on what they are. The reality is we’re really confident he’s going to be our coach in 2028.”
The FA chief explained that the governing body conducts a comprehensive review after every major tournament. “You want to look at how well you’ve done, who you were drawn against, what the mood in the camp was, how things were going behind the scenes, and what the complete package was, and where things went well.”
Defending the decision to extend Tuchel’s contract before the World Cup, Bullingham said uncertainty over a manager’s future can become a distraction during major tournaments. “You never really want that hanging over you when you go into a tournament because obviously anyone in any walk of life that’s on a fixed-term contract when they get to the end of it starts thinking about their future.”
He added that the FA has been impressed with Tuchel’s adaptation from club football to the international game. “We have a manager who we think is doing a really good job. I think with him also in the beginning, you never know how a club manager will adapt to international football. It is a different flow, it’s a different rhythm. He’s done it brilliantly. I think he’s adapted very, very well, and he was keen to carry on. We were very keen to carry on with him.”
England begin their World Cup campaign this week, with Tuchel aiming to guide the national team to its first major international trophy since the 1966 World Cup.
