FA chief explains decision to hand Thomas Tuchel new England contract before World Cup | OneFootball

The Football Association’s chief executive, Mark Bullingham, has claimed that Thomas Tuchel’s contract extension provides crucial stability and control for the national team, particularly should England’s World Cup campaign encounter difficulties.

Tuchel, who took over from Sir Gareth Southgate 20 months ago, is on the cusp of leading England into his inaugural international tournament.

His initial deal was set to expire this summer, but a flawless World Cup qualification campaign prompted the FA to secure his services until the conclusion of the home European Championships in 2028.

The decision to extend a manager’s contract before a major tournament carries historical weight, notably with Fabio Capello’s pre-2010 World Cup extension which ultimately backfired.

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England gave Fabio Capello a new contract before the 2010 World Cup which backfired (Getty)

However, Bullingham expressed confidence that the FA has struck the right balance, especially given the widespread interest in the former Chelsea manager.

Addressing whether Tuchel being linked to other high-profile roles influenced the timing, Bullingham stated: "We’d actually started speaking to him a little bit before that managerial merry-go-round started, so, no, it wasn’t."

He elaborated on the proactive approach: "I think the reality is he is a top-level manager who would be in demand, right? And we knew we had someone we felt was doing a really good job and they would be in demand and you can’t expect someone to wait around and say, ‘Well, I’ll just leave it a long time and see how we go’."

Bullingham continued, emphasising the practicalities of the decision: "That’s not the reality of life, I don’t think, in any profession, so our decision was, we’ve got someone doing a really good job.

“We think we can sign them up for another two years. It’s a home tournament; it’s really, really important. Home tournaments as well, the pressure is even bigger than a normal tournament and you want someone who’s been there and done it."

England, having reached the finals of the last two European Championships, head into the World Cup as one of the favourites. While Bullingham refrained from defining success for the upcoming tournament, he confirmed that Tuchel’s contract includes performance clauses, designed to offer safeguards should results not meet expectations.

"There’s performance clauses in every single contract with the FA, right? I’m not going to go into any detail on what they are," he said ahead of Wednesday’s Group L opener against Croatia. "The reality is we’re really confident he’s going to be our coach in 2028."

This confidence extends to Tuchel’s commitment to international football over a return to club management.

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Bullingham does not believe it is a risk to give Tuchel a new deal (PA)

"He’s very happy with us," Bullingham affirmed. "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 lauded Tuchel’s adaptation to the international game, highlighting his dynamic energy and commanding presence.

"In his own environment, he’s incredibly dynamic and energetic, but he absolutely owns the room and owns the camp and he’s brilliant at connecting with everyone," he added.

Acknowledging the distinct styles of Tuchel and his predecessor, Bullingham also paid tribute to Sir Gareth Southgate for establishing a strong foundation.

"There’s no question that Gareth laid brilliant foundations that made the job attractive," he said.

"The level of manager that wanted to work with us was extremely high. A lot of big names were keen on the job and I’d say that is a tribute to Gareth and Steve (Holland), who made it an attractive role."