Thomas Tuchel has extended his stay in England due to having “great players” at his disposal

Thomas Tuchel said he has extended his contract as England coach until Euro 2028 because of the “fantastic group of players” at his disposal.

The German took charge in January 2025, and his spell as Three Lions coach was due to end after this summer’s World Cup.

However, the 52-year-old admitted his “relationship with the players and with the job itself” grew as England recorded eight wins from eight matches during tournament qualifiers in Canada, Mexico and the United States.

“The main reasons I took the job in the first place were the players,” Tuchel said.

“I wanted to be around this great group of players. I wanted to coach these characters that I already knew from the Premier League.

“I love the group of players. I love the personalities, I love being in charge. I felt the emotion in the country when the European Championships were held at Wembley. From there it was more of a dream than a reality.

He added: “I am very grateful for the support and trust of the FA and we will make every effort to make everyone proud and continue progressing.”

When Tuchel accepted to coach the England national team, it was his first foray into the international scene.

Having enjoyed success with clubs such as Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Bayern Munich, he has adapted seamlessly to a different kind of challenge away from the day-to-day problems he faced at the clubs.

“We didn’t know exactly what was coming as an international manager,” Tuchel added.

“That was the whole reason I voted so strongly for just an 18-month contract in the first place, because I said ‘Listen, I’ve never done this before. “Can I first make sure that I love this and that I feel committed to the team, that I feel connected to the team, because I think that’s essential to being the best version of myself.”

“It took me a few months to understand, but once the most intense period arrived in September, October and November, that was the period when I felt the strongest connection to the players and to the job itself. From then on I was fully committed to going further.”

With England, Wales, Scotland and the Republic of Ireland hosting the Euro 2028 finals, the lure of leading a team to the European Championship on home soil, with the Football Association keen to back their player, has also proven an irresistible reason for Tuchel to stay.

He added: “We had an excellent qualifying campaign, and both teams wanted to complete the course.”

“We wanted to commit more to the full cycle of the World Cup and the European Championship. The FA wanted and I wanted so it was easy.”