The CEO of the FA, Mark Bullinghamsaid the FA had “spoken to around 10 people”, including “some English candidates”, before appointing German and former Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel as England’s new manager. Eddie Howeone of only three English managers currently in the Premier League, confirmed on Friday that he had not been contacted. Asked if he had been interviewed for the role of England manager, he replied: “I have not been contacted. There has been no contact from the FA.”
When asked if this bothered him, Howe said: “England have to do what they think is right for themselves, and only they know the processes and the decisions they’ve made. I’m certainly not the type of person who will analyze those choices. “For me, it’s all about Newcastle and the trying to win games, and it’s already difficult to do that if you’re 100% focused. I will always remain focused on my work. If you lower your standards, the job becomes impossible, and at no time have I allowed myself to do that.”
The FA press release
“The FA has announced that Champions League winner Thomas Tuchel is the new manager of the England senior team and will be assisted by internationally renowned English manager Anthony Barry. Tuchel returns to English football after a trophy-rich spell with Chelsea, who led him to become European and world champion, having also achieved success at elite level in Germany and France. He was also voted UEFA and FIFA Coach of the Year in 2021 in recognition of his work in England at the FA concludes an extensive recruitment drive that began in July, immediately after the defeat of the Three Lions to the Euro 2024 final. The decision to recruit Tuchel and Barry was approved by the FA Council early last week, with Tuchel signing his contract on Tuesday 8 October. The announcement was delayed to minimize distractions during the just concluded international retreat. The pair will begin work on January 1, 2025 ahead of the qualification process for the following year’s FIFA World Cup finals, which will be held in Canada, Mexico and the United States.”