Find out more about Thomas Tuchel's coaching career

Born in Krumbach, Bavaria in 1973, Thomas Tuchel becomes the new head coach of the England men’s senior team having amassed a wealth of experience and success in his coaching career to date.

With spells at Augsburg, Mainz, Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Bayern Munich as a coach, Tuchel led teams to league titles and domestic cup competitions in Germany and France, before he won the UEFA Champions League title with Chelsea in 2021.

During his career in recent years, Tuchel has coached Engish players such as Harry Kane while his spell at Chelsea saw the likes of Mason Mount, Ben Chilwell, Reece James, Conor Gallagher and Fikayo Tomori all feature under him.

Widely regarded as a tactical expert in his approach to coaching, Tuchel’s football journey began as a youngster when his father coached him at his local junior grassroots club, TSV Krumbach.

After growing into a promising defender in his teens, he moved to Augsburg’s youth academy where his football education continued before he was released at the age of 19 and joined Stuttgart Kickers in the German second tier.

Thomas Tuchel. Our #ThreeLions head coach from 2025. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

— England (@England) October 16, 2024

Two seasons spent there saw first-team appearances limited, but it was with SSV Ulm where Tuchel really found a home during his playing days as he became a regular for three years in what was the fourth tier of German football.

A knee injury brought Tuchel’s playing career to an end in 1998 at the age of 25, but he’d already turned his eye to coaching during his final year of Ulm while also studying for a business degree while also famously working in a cocktail bar to earn extra money.

His first coaching appointment came with VfB Stuttgart in 2000, when Ralf Rangnick appointed him as a youth coach and he oversaw the club’s U19 team which included future German senior internationals such as Mario Gomez and Holgar Badstuber.

Tuchel led the club to the U19 Bundesliga title in 2004, before leaving to make a return to his first professional club Augsburg the following year, initially in a role with their youth system. He then completed his UEFA Pro Licence which enabled him to take charge of the second team.

During two years at the helm, Tuchel’s team and coaching ability caught the eye of Bundesliga clubs and it was Mainz who eventually appointed him, initially as an U19 coach, in 2009.

After one season, and another U19 Bundesliga title under his belt, he moved into the first-team role where his top-flight expertise quickly shone.

They finished ninth in his first season, before going on to secure fifth-place the following season to qualify for the UEFA Europa League after winning seven successive games at the start of that campaign.

He led them into Europe again in his final season in charge at Mainz in 2013-14, before standing down from his role after five seasons during which he’d faced the issue of key players being transferred each summer and overseeing a constant evolution of the team.

After a year out, Tuchel made his return to management in 2015 when he was appointed as the new coach of Borussia Dortmund following the departure of Jurgen Klopp.

He took the club to a second-placed finish in the Bundesliga in his first season, before the 2016-17 season heralded his first senior trophy as Dortmund beat Eintracht Frankfurt in the DFB-Pokal to win the club’s first honour in five years.

Tuchel departed the club shortly after with his next stop being Paris Saint-Germain, where he replaced Unai Emery as boss in the summer of 2018, working with the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Neymar.

His first campaign in the French capital saw him win the Ligue 1 title, his first domestic league title as a manager, but it was in his second season during 2019-20 when PSG really upped the ante under Tuchel.

After winning the Trophée des Champions in early season, Tuchel’s side went on to retain their league title as well as lifting honours in the Coupe de France and Coupe de la Ligue.

Alongside their domestic treble, PSG also enjoyed a strong campaign in the UCL as they reached the final for the first time in their history after beating the likes of RB Leipzig, Atalanta and Dortmund in the knock-out stages.

A single goal defeat to Bayern Munich followed in the final in Lisbon, as the season ended late following the COVID-19 pandemic.

His departure from the Parc des Princes in December 2020 was followed by a swift return to the dugout when he was appointed at Chelsea the following month.

He made an instant impact at Stamford Bridge, as the team went unbeaten for 14 games under his charge to set a new club record for a new manager at the west London club.

The Blues went on to reach the Emirates FA Cup Final, which they lost against Leicester City, but Tuchel also became the first manager to reach successive UCL Finals with separate clubs as a semi-final victory over Real Madrid saw them into the Final in Porto.

A 1-0 victory over Manchester City followed and Tuchel added another title to his growing list.

In 2021-22, Tuchel’s trophy list was extended as Chelsea lifted the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup, but did lose two domestic finals in the EFL Cup Final and the Emirates FA Cup Final, both against Liverpool after a penalty shootout.

His spell at Stamford Bridge came to an end in March 2023, with a return to his homeland confirmed later that month when he was appointed as manager of Bayern Munich.

Taking assistant coach Anthony Barry, who he’d worked with at Chelsea, Tuchel led Bayern to the Bundesliga title that season after a thrilling final-day victory over Koln seeing them pip his former club Dortmund to the championship and also seal a first league title in his homeland.

Last season, with Kane added to his ranks, Tuchel’s side finished second to Bayer Leverkusen and it was confirmed in February that he would leave his role at the end of the season.

But that didn’t stop Bayern reaching the UCL semi-final where they narrowly lost to Real Madrid in a controversial second-leg at the Bernebeu.

Now, Tuchel will turn his hand to the international stage and having previously spoke about his fondness and love of the English game, it’s a challenge he’ll approach with gusto as the Three Lions eye their forthcoming qualification for the FIFA 2026 World Cup Finals in North America.