Tuchel vows to stay with England and finish ‘unfinished business’ before Euro 2028
On 11 November 2026 Thomas Tuchel said he will remain focused on completing “unfinished business” with England ahead of their Nations League home match against Croatia at Wembley, insisting he has no intention of leaving before Euro 2028.
Tuchel revealed he did not insert a release clause when he extended his contract as England manager and dismissed concerns that a club approach would force the Football Association to release him. Mauricio Pochettino is expected to leave his role as the USA men’s head coach to replace Michael Carrick at Manchester United, and United can pay about £7m to get Pochettino out of his deal, but Tuchel said the FA does not have to worry about being forced to let him go.
“There’s no intention [of leaving],” Tuchel said. “I signed the contract. I want to stay until the Euros. I want to do the Euros. We have unfinished business.” He did not rule out a return to club management at some point and acknowledged he misses “the 50 matches” a season, adding that “these two minutes when everything is done, before the whistle goes … it’s like the best two minutes”.
Tuchel confirmed his contract contained a performance‑related clause that could have led to his dismissal had England underperformed at the World Cup, and said he received early public backing from Mark Bullingham, the chief executive, and Dan Ashworth, the chief football officer. “They made it very early in the World Cup,” Tuchel said, explaining the backing came while the sacking clause remained active. “They just made it very clear and it comes from a place of trust, and that’s what you look for as a coach.”
Preparing for the home Nations League fixture, Tuchel reiterated his aims for silverware and major tournaments. “I miss my players, and I miss my team, and I miss the 50 matches that I’m not involved in a year. But I’m desperate to win the Nations League and to try to win the Euros.” He said having the European Championship staged mainly in England and the possibility of hosting the Nations League finals next summer are motivating factors.
Selection puzzles face Tuchel for the Croatia game: Harry Kane will break the England men’s appearance record at Wembley and the match will not simply be a celebration of his recent Ballon d’Or, while Jude Bellingham is on a booking and at risk of missing the Spain game through suspension. There are unknowns in central defence after Marc Guéhi’s withdrawal; Ezri Konsa is unavailable against Croatia and targeting a return against Spain.
Tuchel added James Hill and Dan Burn to his squad this week and indicated the centre‑back partnership is likely to be Jarell Quansah on the right with a contest on the left between Jarrad Branthwaite and Burn. “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.”
Tuchel highlighted several attacking and midfield options in the squad, naming Rio Ngumoha and Josh King among the forwards and noting he is the first senior manager to work with the Bellingham brothers. Jobe Bellingham plays a deeper midfield role than Jude and is likely to start on the bench. Tuchel pointed to Alex Scott’s performance alongside Elliot Anderson in the 7-0 win in Rijeka, said Scott is out with a thigh injury but “can challenge Declan Rice,” and described Rice as crucial: “Declan understands the game like he’s almost a coach on the field.”
England require one point from their final two Group A3 matches to finish in the top two and qualify for the quarter-finals in March; victory over Croatia would give them a chance of finishing top when they visit Spain on Sunday. Tuchel urged the team onwards: “To have it here would be exciting,” he said. “First of all, we need to reach the final.”
