Thomas Tuchel (born 29 August 1973) is a German professional football manager and former player who is the manager of the England national team. Born in Krumbach in Bavaria, Tuchel retired as a professional footballer at age 25 due to a knee cartilage injury and began his coaching career in 2000 as a youth coach at VfB Stuttgart.
โฝ Early Playing Career
Born in Krumbach, Bavaria, Tuchel starred as a member of his local club, TSV Krumbach, coached by his father, Rudolf. Tuchel moved to the FC Augsburg academy in 1988, however, he never appeared for the first team, being released at age 19.
After being released from Augsburg, Tuchel joined 2. Bundesliga side Stuttgarter Kickers in 1992. Tuchel played eight games during the 1992โ93 season.
After the 1993โ94 season, he was dropped from Kickers’ first team, and joined Regionalliga Sรผd side SSV Ulm. Playing as a central defender, he played for SSV Ulm until being forced to retire in 1998, aged 25, after suffering a knee cartilage injury.
๐ Coaching Beginnings
Tuchel began his coaching career in 2000, hired by Ralf Rangnick as youth team coach at VfB Stuttgart, where he aided in player development. Tuchel coached the club’s under-19 side to the Bundesliga title in the 2004โ05 campaign.
In 2005, Tuchel returned to Augsburg, with club sporting director Andreas Rettig noting the club’s admiration of Tuchel’s tactical discipline led to him being appointed youth team coordinator. He was hired despite lacking a UEFA Pro Licence, which he gained in a six-and-a-half month course in Cologne under Erich Rutemรถller.
Tuchel held the position as coordinator for three years, transitioning into senior club management after accepting the position as first team coach at FC Augsburg II for the 2007โ08 season. At the end of the 2007โ08 season, Tuchel’s Augsburg II finished fourth.
๐ด Mainz 05 Era
Tuchel’s time as the coach of Augsburg II impressed many top-level German clubs, and he went on to be appointed by Bundesliga club Mainz 05 in 2009, replacing Jorn Andersen. Having signed an initial two-year contract, he was promoted into the role after acting as a youth coach at Mainz for the previous 12 months.
Tuchel’s tactics based on pressing and positional play led Mainz to a ninth-placed finish in his first season as manager. In the following campaign, Tuchel’s Mainz enjoyed a perfect start to the season, winning their first seven games, including an away victory over Bayern Munich.
Tuchel eventually led the team to a fifth-placed finish as the club improved by 11 points to qualify for the third-qualifying round of the 2011โ12 UEFA Europa League. Mainz fell to a thirteenth-placed finish the following season, having notably lost Schรผrrle to Bayer Leverkusen in the summer.
In the 2012โ13 season, Mainz would go on to repeat their thirteenth-placed finish from the season prior. In what would turn out to be his final season with the club, Tuchel led Mainz to a seventh-place finish, qualifying for the group stages of the 2014โ15 UEFA Europa League.
In May 2014, he asked to be released from his contract. Mainz initially refused to release him from his contract, but on 11 May 2014, he was allowed to step down.
๐ก Borussia Dortmund Period
In April 2015, coach Jรผrgen Klopp announced that he would leave Borussia Dortmund following the 2014โ15 season. Tuchel’s appointment as the club’s new head coach for the following season occurred on 19 April, signing a three-year deal effective from 1 July.
Although unbeaten in his first fourteen matches at Borussia Dortmund, Tuchel and his team ended trophyless in the 2015โ16 season, despite an appearance in the 2016 DFB-Pokal final, in which they lost to Bayern Munich on penalties. Dortmund scored 82 goals in the 2015โ16 Bundesliga, a club record.
Dortmund finished second in the Bundesliga, securing UEFA Champions League football. In preparation for the following campaign, Dortmund spent heavily on player purchases, spending a total of โฌ109.75 million in the transfer market.
| Club | Role | Years | Key Achievement |
|---|---|---|---|
| VfB Stuttgart | Youth Coach | 2000โ2005 | U-19 Bundesliga title (2004โ05) |
| FC Augsburg II | Head Coach | 2007โ2008 | Finished fourth in Regionalliga |
| Mainz 05 | Head Coach | 2009โ2014 | Seventh-place finish, Europa League qualification |
| Borussia Dortmund | Head Coach | 2015โ2017 | DFB-Pokal win, club record 82 Bundesliga goals |