England boss Tuchel interested in contract extension after 2026 World Cup
NOTTINGHAM, England - Thomas Tuchel suggested he is tempted to seek a contract extension as England manager beyond the 2026 World Cup up to the 2028 European Championship, despite his team drawing criticism for recent poor performances.
Tuchel, whose contract runs through the end of the World Cup, suffered his first defeat in four games as manager in a 3-1 loss to Senegal in a friendly on Tuesday, in which the Senegalese became the first African nation to beat England.
"I will always be tempted to stay because I love the group and the opportunity, it's an honour to be England coach," Tuchel said in an interview with radio station Talksport on Wednesday. "I can tell you that even after the disappointment yesterday.
"If you ask me today, yes. I am enjoying it, I feel the support, trust and respect of people in the FA. I wanted a new challenge and environment."
The 51-year-old conceded to little enjoyment, however, in the hours after Tuesday's game at the City Ground where Senegal repeatedly punished England's lacklustre defence.
"I'm not very good, I didn't sleep well after last night. I'm disappointed, it was a short night, we hate to lose," Tuchel said. "The way we lost, losing at home, didn't make me sleep well."
The German said England lacked joy and energy, which was also evident in their 1-0 win over Andorra in World Cup qualifying on Saturday.
"I am trying now and still we feel we are lacking the enthusiasm and joy consistently at international level," he said. "I think it's massively about connections that the team generates, that we have joy in playing together.
"Senegal arrived with the objective to win and to make history. Would we have had the same joy as them if we won? I don't think so.
"Celebrate the goals more, be more happy, create an environment where the players feel they can express their joy more lively. Or is it just not in us? Is it a way of lifestyle connected to different cultures?"
Tuchel will travel to the United States next week to begin preparations for next summer's World Cup in the U.S., Mexico and Canada, looking at factors such as heat adaptation. REUTERS
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
6 hours ago
- Straits Times
Former Lions and EPL winners to star in July 25-27 Soccer7sSeries at Jalan Besar
Shahril Ishak (left) and Khairul Amri will reprise their attacking partnership with the Singapore Football Club at the July 25-27 Soccer7sSeries at Jalan Besar Stadium. TNP FILE PHOTO Former Lions and EPL winners to star in July 25-27 Soccer7sSeries at Jalan Besar SINGAPORE – Former English Premier League winners Robert Huth, Wes Morgan and Luis Boa Morte will be in town for the July 25-27 Soccer7sSeries, which will feature seven-a-side men's open, women's and over-35 masters tournaments at the Jalan Besar Stadium. Huth, 40, was part of the Chelsea team who won back-to-back Premier League titles in 2004-05 and 2005-06, and later formed a solid centre-back partnership with Wes Morgan, now 41, at Leicester City who clinched the 2015-16 Premier League crown against all odds. Boa Morte, 47, was with Arsenal when they won the 1997-98 title before turning out for the Southampton, Fulham and West Ham United. Among notable teams who have already confirmed their participation in the Singapore event are England's Coventry City and Queens Park Rangers, as well as Brazilian sides Corinthians and Vasco da Gama, who are set to bring their rising stars from their Under-21 and academy teams for the men's open competition, while German outfit Borussia Dortmund will play in the masters category. Asian and Asean teams are also involved, with China's Shanghai Shenhua, Indonesia's Persib Bandung, Malaysia's Selangor, and the host's Geylang International and Singapore Football Club (SFC) taking part. The men's open will feature 16 teams, while 10 teams will play in the women's and masters tournaments. All the 95 games over the three days will be played across two seven-minute halves on a full-size pitch. Fans can expect to see former Lions and centurions such as Shahril Ishak, 41; Khairul Amri, 40; and Daniel Bennett, 47 – who have 412 caps among them – strut their stuff with SFC in the masters competition. Former national captain Shahril, who noted that the event will be held two weeks before Singapore turns 60, said: 'We are excited to have the world's best sevens talent coming to celebrate our nation's anniversary with us. I can't wait to take to the field and compete against such high-calibre opponents.' Off the pitch, there will also be activities to entertain fans and families, who will be treated to a host of Singaporean tastes and flavours. Soccer7sSeries chief executive officer Dom Lane said: 'Singapore has truly become a global sporting destination, so we're delighted to bring the Soccer7sSeries to the country. 'Fans will be treated to faster football... we have four games played every hour. We have some exciting names including ex-Premier League winners and Champions League competitors and already lots of great teams confirmed from Europe, South America and the Asia-Pacific with even more to announce.' Ticket prices range from $8 for children and senior citizens to $35 for general admission daily passes. Weekend passes from $25 to $60 and hospitality passes from $200 to $600 are also available at David Lee is senior sports correspondent at The Straits Times focusing on aquatics, badminton, basketball, cue sports, football and table tennis. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
6 hours ago
- Straits Times
Zverev overcomes Moutet to reach Stuttgart quarters
FILE PHOTO: Jun 4, 2025; Paris, FR; Alexander Zverev of Germany during his match against Novak Djokovic of Serbia on day 11 at Roland Garros Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Susan Mullane-Imagn Images/File Photo REUTERS STUTTGART, Germany - German top seed Alexander Zverev beat Frenchman Corentin Moutet 6-2 7-6(7) on Thursday to reach the Stuttgart Open quarter-finals, staying on course in his Wimbledon tune-up after a quarter-final run at Roland Garros. Zverev has long struggled on grass. The 28-year-old has won 24 tour-level titles but none on grass and has never gone past the fourth round at Wimbledon. Zverev, a three-times Grand Slam finalist, raced through the first set, but Moutet responded well in the second, taking an early 2-1 lead. The set tightened as both players traded breaks to reach 4-4, before Zverev held his nerve in the tiebreak to close out the match. "I prefer to win 6-2 6-2, but you can never choose these kind of things but in the end I won and that's the most important thing," said Zverev, who last played at Stuttgart in 2019. "I think the first match on grass was never easy. I honestly think it was a very average match. I made it complicated, but a win is a win and I'm happy to play tomorrow again." Fourth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime earned his first win on grass since Halle in 2022, defeating Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard 6-4 6-4 to move into the quarter-finals in Stuttgart. The 24-year-old Canadian will next face German teenager Justin Engel. Wildcard Engel, who won his first tour-level grasscourt match in the previous round, stunned American seventh seed Alex Michelsen 6-4 6-4, breaking for 2-1 in both sets and holding serve throughout without facing a single break point. The 17-year-old Engel becomes the youngest Stuttgart quarter-finalist and also the youngest player to reach the quarter-finals of an ATP grasscourt event since 1985, when Boris Becker made it to the Wimbledon quarter-finals. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
7 hours ago
- Straits Times
De Bruyne joins Italian champions Napoli after Man City exit
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Premier League - Fulham v Manchester City - Craven Cottage, London, Britain - May 25, 2025 Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne celebrates after playing his last Premier League match for Manchester City Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Couldridge/File Photo REUTERS Belgian playmaker Kevin De Bruyne has joined Serie A champions Napoli as a free agent on Thursday, following the end of his glittering 10-year spell at Manchester City. De Bruyne lifted 19 trophies at City since his 2015 move from German side VfL Wolfsburg — a haul that includes six Premier League titles and one Champions League crown. He has also been named the Premier League Player of the Season twice. Regarded as one of the greatest midfielders in Premier League history, the 33-year-old's contract at City expired at the end of the recently-concluded season. "Kevin is proud to be one of us!," Napoli posted on social media platform X. The Belgium captain featured in 40 matches in all competitions for City last campaign, scoring six goals and providing eight assists and helping them qualify for next season's Champions League, after being sidelined by a thigh injury in September. Injuries had limited his appearances in the last two seasons. De Bruyne made 422 appearances in all competitions for City, netting 108 times and registering 177 assists. He has the second-most assists in Premier League history with 119, behind Ryan Giggs (162). Napoli won their second Serie A title in three years after a tight race with Inter Milan. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
