Following the appointment of Thomas Tuchel who is a German as the head coach of England ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, questions as to whether a foreign coach should be managing the national side and if there has been a precedence of this in the past have emerged in the football following heavy criticism from the English media following his appointment.
‘It’s coming home’ is not a phrase that was coined in recent times but as a result of several failed attempts to secure a huge international title honour in the history of football for England since 1966. The English FA has continued to mix and shake things up with the hope of securing a major honour for the men’s national team.
One of such things that the English FA has done is to also consider the option of foreign coaches in a bid to secure a title.
How many foreign head coaches has England had so far?
Following the appointment of Thomas Tuchel as the new head coach of England, the Three Lions have had a total of 3 foreign coaches so far in the history of football.
Who are the foreign coaches that have managed England?
Here are the foreign coaches who have managed the England National side in the history of football:
1. Sven-Göran Eriksson (Sweden)
- Tenure: 2001-2006
- Matches: 67
- Wins: 40
- Draws: 17
- Losses: 10
- Win Percentage: 59.7%
Sven-Göran Eriksson was England’s first-ever foreign head coach in 2001 where he led the star-studded side to the 2002 FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro 2004, and the 2006 FIFA World Cup, reaching the quarter-finals in each. England however failed to secure a major title win and from all indications the football association had to consider other alternatives.
2. Fabio Capello (Italy)
- Tenure: 2008-2012
- Matches: 42
- Wins: 28
- Draws: 8
- Losses: 6
- Win Percentage: 66.7%
Fabio Capello took over as England’s coach in 2008 with a reputation as one of Europe’s top coaches. He led England to a strong qualification campaign for the 2010 FIFA World Cup but his team fell short and the shocking defeat by a scoreline of 4-1 to Germany raised more questions about his style of leadership and team management. Capello however stepped down from his role as head coach when the English FA decided to strip John Terry of the captaincy band.
3. Thomas Tuchel (Germany)
All eyes would be on Thomas Tuchel who would take charge of England in January 2025, given his expertise in knockout football, expectations for England would be high going into international competitions.
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