England’s new manager Thomas Tuchel says he will ‘start learning’ national anthem
Thomas Tuchel has told Sky News he will “start learning” the national anthem following questions over whether he will sing it before England games.
The 51-year-old German, who has been officially unveiled as the Three Lions’ new head coach, told a news conference he had not yet made up his mind over the issue.
However, speaking afterwards with Sky News sports correspondent Rob Harris, Tuchel said: “I will absolutely start learning it.
“I experienced it three times here at Wembley in the cup finals two or three times – it was very moving. I don’t want to offend people.”
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Tuchel’s answer on singing anthem
He added: “I will now get a feeling for it, what people think, and what the atmosphere is for that, and take my decision but it will not change my approach on how much I will work in my dream to make it happen.”
It comes following a row over current interim manager Lee Carsley, who represented Ireland as a player, after he announced he would not sing God Save The King before Three Lions matches.
Following questions from journalists at an earlier news conference, Tuchel said: “I will take a little bit of time for this decision.”
The Football Association revealed during the briefing on Wednesday that it had considered around 10 candidates for the role, which Tuchel will take up in 2025.
The governing body’s chief executive Mark Bullingham said: “We interviewed approximately 10 people, we interviewed some English candidates within that. You wouldn’t expect me to divulge any more than that.”
When asked if any of them turned down the opportunity, Mr Bullingham replied: “Clearly some were more up for the role than others. But we were absolutely delighted to end up with Thomas.”
Mr Bullingham added: “We believe he gives us the best chance of winning the World Cup so we believe we got the best candidate for the job.”
Thomas Tuchel was all smiles at the news conference. Pic: PA
Before taking the England job, Tuchel had been strongly linked with Manchester United, whose manager Erik ten Hag is under pressure.
Asked about those reports and why he chose England specifically, Tuchel said: “The idea and the way Mark (Bullingham) and John (McDermott, the FA’s technical director) presented it was very fast, very exciting, very confidential and trustful.
“It was very straightforward. This was a decision for this job and not a decision against anyone else.
“I will not comment on any other clubs.”
Tuchel launches charm offensive – but performances on the pitch will matter most
Facing hostility and hysteria comes with the territory – even for English managers of England.
So all Thomas Tuchel could attempt was a charm offensive at his Wembley unveiling – flaunting the shirt on the pitch.
There was the prepared and much-repeated line about dreaming of putting a second star on the shirt by winning the 2026 World Cup.
And talking up his affection for England and football here.
The German claimed to have been spared sight of the Daily Mail back page headline that greeted his appointment as a “dark day for England” – harking back to Sven-Goran Eriksson’s appointment in 2000 being decried as “selling our birthright”.
Unlike Eriksson and Fabio Capello before him, this third foreign manager of the Three Lions has actually coached here.
Tuchel won’t want to dwell on how short that spell was – lasting just 15 months at Chelsea — but instead on the turnaround and rapid success.
Although it is the lesser-regarded Club World Cup on his CV, winning any form of senior World Cup has not been achieved by an England manager since Sir Alf Ramsey in 1966.
But the mission to end 58 years of hurt is not just about tactically transforming the team.
It is about a connection with the fans where symbolism can become a fixation – and the team can be used to gauge the parading of patriotism.
“I will absolutely start learning it [the national anthem],” Tuchel told Sky News, remembering it being played at Wembley cup finals when he was in charge at Chelsea.
“It was very moving, but I haven’t taken my decision yet if I will sing it or not. I have a bit of time for that.
“And even with the decision, I do not want to offend people. I’ll get a feeling for it, what people think and what the atmosphere is for that.”
Even the fear of offending shows how much of this job can be treading on eggshells – where oddities, absurdities and controversies can distract from the main job.
Tuchel said he was convinced to take the job because it was about football “not sport politics”.
That could be wishful thinking after Gareth Southgate had to navigate everything from Brexit to human rights – while still leading England to back-to-back European Championship finals.
Ultimately for Tuchel it is about how to get the team over the line to land silverware.
“We believe that we have everything that it takes,” Tuchel said. “But it is on us now to find the right ingredients and to build the right group with the right mindset to make it happen.”
And Tuchel has demonstrated the mindset and determination to rise from coaching in the lower leagues in Germany to one of the biggest jobs in world football.
He talked a good game today. From March, on the pitch, he will have to start delivering.
In an earlier video message to fans, Tuchel said he was aiming for a “second star” on England’s shirt – which can only be achieved by winning the World Cup.
Speaking from Wembley Stadium, the former Chelsea boss said: “I’m quite a bit nervous, this is my first message as England head coach.
“There is a reason to be a bit nervous, I think it is a good thing. I can promise I am very excited and very honoured.
“We will do everything to qualify for the World Cup and then try to get the second star on our shirt.”
Read more:
What we know about England’s new manager
As it happened: Tuchel news conference live
Tuchel signs England manager deal
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New England boss shares message with fans
Tuchel also said he hoped to win over sceptical fans who believe the Three Lions should only be managed by an Englishman.
He said: “I will do everything to show respect to this role and to this country… no matter what [my] national passport says I am.”
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German fans react to Tuchel appointment
Tuchel said he believed the England men’s team had the “ingredients” to win their first major tournament since the 1966 World Cup.
He also declined to say if Harry Kane, who he managed at Bayern Munich, will remain England captain, saying it was “too early to answer these kinds of questions”.
Tuchel’s contract lasts for 18 months and was signed last Tuesday, the FA also revealed.
Liverpool have won the Premier League title after a 5-1 victory over Tottenham at Anfield.
Arne Slot’s men did it in impressive style, turning over Spurs in a convincing win.
It was a rocky start for the Reds after Dominic Solanke put the north London side ahead.
However, fortunes quickly changed in the first half as Liverpool scored three times without a response.
Captain Virgil van Dijk (centre) celebrates. Pic: Reuters
Salah on his knees in celebration after the final whistle. Pic: AP
Liverpool’s Harvey Elliott (below) and Jarell Quansah celebrate after full-time. Pic: PA
Slot cheers after the full-time whistle. Pic: AP
In the second half, it took until the 63rd minute for Mohamed Salah to make it 4-1 before a fifth followed.
The Reds have won the title in manager Arne Slot’s first season in charge, and move level with fierce rivals Manchester United on 20 league championships.
But it makes them arguably the most successful English club ever as they have won more European Cup or Champions League titles.
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk told Sky Sports after the final whistle: “It’s special and it’s something that we don’t take for granted. It’s amazing.
“A lot of emotions before the game, during the whole week, but we got the job done and we (are) truly deserved champions of England. (Liverpool is) the most beautiful club in the world and I think we deserve all of this. Let’s enjoy the next couple of weeks and let it sink in.”
Liverpool’s Kostas Tsimikas poses with a Premier League trophy cut out. Pic: Reuters
Manager Arne Slot and his team after the final whistle. Pic: AP
Slot took over last summer from Jurgen Klopp, who guided them to their previous and maiden Premier League title triumph in 2020, when the COVID-19 lockdown saw matches played behind closed doors.
He is the first Dutch manager to win the Premier League and the fifth man to do so in a debut campaign after Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti, Manuel Pellegrini, and Antonio Conte.
Speaking to Sky Sports he said: “They [the players] did an outstanding job today. The main job was to win. Everyone said we had got it already. But we had to make sure and we got over the line.”
Several players, including Alisson Becker, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk, and Mohamed Salah, played leading roles in both the 2025 and 2020 campaigns.
Van Dijk and Salah recently signed new contracts extending their careers at the club.
Mohamed Salah takes a selfie with fans after scouring the fourth Liverpool goal. Pic: AP
Fans at Anfield during the game. Pic: AP
Fans in the stands at Anfield before full-time. Pic: Reuters
Liverpool will have to wait until the final game of the season – at home to Crystal Palace on 25 May – to be presented with the Premier League trophy.
It will be the first time the club’s fans will have seen their side lift the top-flight title in person since 1990.
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Two pro-Palestinian demonstrators have thrown red powder on Tower Bridge – just moments before leading runners in the London Marathon went past.
The protesters were arrested on suspicion of causing a public nuisance and remain in custody, said the Metropolitan Police.
A video shared by Youth Demand, which is calling for a trade embargo on Israel, shows two people jumping over a barrier that separates spectators from the race course.
The pair, wearing t-shirts that say “Youth Demand: Stop Arming Israel”, are then seen standing in the middle of the road on the bridge.
Pic: LNP
They throw red powder in the air as an official marathon car goes past displaying the race time.
A motorbike with a cameraman on board continues along the route, while a second motorbike stops and one of the riders gets off and pushes the pair out of the way, just before the men’s elite runners pass.
Several police officers then jump over the barrier and detain the pair, the footage shows.
There appeared to be no impact on the marathon.
More than 56,000 participants were expected to take part in the 26.2-mile race through the capital.
Sabastian Sawe of Kenya won the men’s elite race in a time of two hours, two minutes and 27 seconds, while Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa shattered the women’s-only world record in two hours, 15 minutes and 50 seconds.
Assefa beat the previous best of two hours, 16 minutes and 16 seconds set last year in London by Kenyan Peres Jepchirchir.
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Pic: LNP
The Metropolitan Police said in a statement: “At around 10.38am, two protesters from Youth Demand jumped over barriers at Tower Bridge and threw red paint on to the road.
“Marathon event staff intervened to remove the protesters from the path of the men’s elite race which was able to pass unobstructed.”
The force added that they were “quickly supported by police officers who arrested the protesters on suspicion of causing a public nuisance”.
The Met said the paint “appeared to be chalk-based” and was not expected to “present a hazard to runners yet to pass this point”.
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