When former German player Thomas Tuchel was asked in the press conference about whether he will sing the national anthem of England after being appointed as their head coach, he spoke about not making a decision on the matter as of yet. The 51-year-old, who is the third non-Englishman to become the head coach after Sven-Goran Eriksson and Fabio Capello, has been given an 18-month contract beginning from January 2025, when he will replace the interim head coach Lee Carsley.
Notably, Lee Carsley, who is a former Republic of Ireland player, had decided to not sing the national anthem of England after assuming charge as the interim head coach, but it led to a certain section of the English fanbase being quite unhappy. Now, with Thomas Tuchel yet to make a decision on the matter, it will be very interesting to see how the fans of the English national football team will react if he follows Lee Carsley’s stance.
I have not made my decision yet: Thomas Tuchel on potentially singing England's national anthem
During the press conference at Wembley in London after being appointed as the new head coach of England, Thomas Tuchel spoke about his predecessors deciding to either sing or not sing their national anthem. He was quoted as saying, as per Sky Sports, “I understand from Mark it's a personal decision and there are managers who sang it and others who didn't. I have not made my decision yet.”
“Your anthem is very moving. I experienced it several times here at Wembley, it was very touching. No matter what decision I take, I will always show my respect to my new role, the country and a very moving anthem,” added Thomas Tuchel on the matter. He also spoke about his focus on ensuring that England brings it home during his tenure after a few appearances in the semi-final of the major football tournaments under Gareth Southgate in the last few years.