German Thomas Tuchel Named England Manager

Then Bayern's head coach Thomas Tuchel smiles prior the start of the Champions League quarter final second leg soccer match between Bayern Munich and Arsenal at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany, Wednesday, April 17, 2024. (AP)
Then Bayern's head coach Thomas Tuchel smiles prior the start of the Champions League quarter final second leg soccer match between Bayern Munich and Arsenal at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany, Wednesday, April 17, 2024. (AP)
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German Thomas Tuchel Named England Manager

Then Bayern's head coach Thomas Tuchel smiles prior the start of the Champions League quarter final second leg soccer match between Bayern Munich and Arsenal at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany, Wednesday, April 17, 2024. (AP)
Then Bayern's head coach Thomas Tuchel smiles prior the start of the Champions League quarter final second leg soccer match between Bayern Munich and Arsenal at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany, Wednesday, April 17, 2024. (AP)

Thomas Tuchel was hired as England coach on Wednesday and will take on the challenge of ending the national team's decades-long wait for a trophy.

The German, who previously managed Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Bayern Munich, will begin his tenure in January ahead of the 2026 World Cup in the United States.

The English Football Association said Tuchel had been identified as the “preferred candidate” after what it described as an extensive search to replace Gareth Southgate, who stepped down after the European Championship in July.

Tuchel won major trophies in Germany, France and England and is England's third foreign coach, after the late Sven-Goran Eriksson and Fabio Capello. He succeeds one of England's most successful coaches in Southgate, who led the country to back-to-back European Championship finals and a World Cup semifinals.

Southgate stepped down after eight years following defeat to Spain in the final of Euro 2024.

The FA said it had interviewed several candidates before deciding on Tuchel.

Tuchel won European club soccer’s biggest prize when leading Chelsea to the Champions League title in 2021. He has won league titles with PSG in France and Bayern in Germany.

He takes on the England job after leaving Bayern at the end of last season.

The 51-year-old Tuchel fits the FA’s remit of hiring a coach who has delivered at the highest level and also knows the English game following his time with Chelsea.

The FA said in July that it wanted someone with “significant experience of English football, with a strong track record delivering results in the Premier League and/or leading international competitions.”

It also said the new coach would develop the team to “win a major tournament and be consistently ranked as one of the top teams in the world.”

As manager of Chelsea, Tuchel beat Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City to win the Champions League within months of taking the job. He also won the UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup with the Premier League club.

England’s only major trophy was the World Cup in 1966.



Novak Djokovic Beats Carlos Alcaraz and Gets Closer to 25th Grand Slam Title

Novak Djokovic of Serbia gestures during his quarterfinal match against Carlos Alcaraz of Spain at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)ASSOCIATED PRESSLess
Novak Djokovic of Serbia gestures during his quarterfinal match against Carlos Alcaraz of Spain at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)ASSOCIATED PRESSLess
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Novak Djokovic Beats Carlos Alcaraz and Gets Closer to 25th Grand Slam Title

Novak Djokovic of Serbia gestures during his quarterfinal match against Carlos Alcaraz of Spain at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)ASSOCIATED PRESSLess
Novak Djokovic of Serbia gestures during his quarterfinal match against Carlos Alcaraz of Spain at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)ASSOCIATED PRESSLess

Novak Djokovic refused to let anything stop his pursuit of a record 25th Grand Slam trophy in the Australian Open quarterfinals. Not a problem with his left leg. Not an early deficit. And not the kid across the net, Carlos Alcaraz, who was making things difficult and eyeing his own bit of history.

Djokovic overcame it all, just as he has so often along the way to so many triumphs, moving into the semifinals at Melbourne Park for the 12th time with a 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 victory over Alcaraz in a scintillating showdown Tuesday night between a pair of stars born 16 years apart and at opposite ends of their careers, The AP reported.

The action was non-stop, the shot-making brilliant, even as the match stretched on for more than 3 1/2 hours and nearly to 1 a.m. — never more so, perhaps, than when Alcaraz saved a break point that would have put Djokovic ahead 5-2 in the fourth set, allowing him to serve for the win. The 33-stroke exchange was the longest of the evening, and when it ended with Djokovic sailing a forehand long, the capacity crowd at Rod Laver Arena went wild. Djokovic reached for his bothersome leg and yelled toward his entourage; Alcaraz, his chest heaving, leaned on a towel box and grinned.

Turned out that only delayed the final result.

With his wife, son and daughter cheering in the stands, the No. 7-seeded Djokovic prevailed thanks to the sort of remarkable returning and no-mistakes-made groundstrokes against Alcaraz that now-retired rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal dealt with for years.

Djokovic enjoyed some of his own best efforts in the latter stages, pointing to his ear or blowing kisses or spreading his arms while puffing out his chest. There was the forehand winner on a 22-stroke point that earned the break for a 5-3 lead in the third set. There was that set’s last point, which included a back-to-the-net sprint to chase down a lob. Alcaraz wasn’t shy, either, shouting “Vamos!” and pumping his fists after one particularly booming forehand in the fourth set.

On Friday, Djokovic’s 50th major semifinal will come against No. 2 seed Alexander Zverev, a two-time runner-up at majors who beat No. 12 Tommy Paul 7-6 (1), 7-6 (0), 2-6, 6-1. The other men’s quarterfinals are Wednesday: No. 1 Jannik Sinner vs. No. 8 Alex de Minaur, and No. 21 Ben Shelton against unseeded Lorenzo Sonego.