Arsene Wenger has expressed disapproval of the Football Association’s choice to name Thomas Tuchel as the new head coach of England, citing his non-English status as a major issue. The decision has caused controversy among football figures, such as Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville, who have argued for an English-born coach. Tuchel, who follows in the footsteps of Sven Goran-Eriksson and Fabio Capello, is only the third foreign manager to command the England squad.
WHAT WENGER SAID
Wenger shared his perspective on BeIN Sports, explaining:
“I just feel – to make it as simple as possible – if I’m the manager of England and I play against France, I cannot sing the national anthem of France. To me on that front, I prefer that the manager is from the country. Why should the player have to be from a country and not the manager? There is a big inference.”
While Wenger acknowledged Tuchel’s capabilities, he expressed a preference for national alignment between managers and their teams, concluding:
“I think he is a perfect coach and a perfect candidate, but he’s not English. But it’s allowed, so there is nothing wrong with that.”