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The Football Association is intensifying its efforts to appoint a new England manager, with conflicting reports suggesting Thomas Tuchel and Pep Guardiola are at the top of the shortlist.
Sky Sports News echoed reports from Germany that Tuchel is the leading candidate, while ESPN reported that the FA has reached out to Guardiola.
Tuchel is currently without a job after leaving Bayern Munich in May, a year before his contract was set to expire, following a disappointing season where they lost the Bundesliga title to Bayer Leverkusen.
He has previous experience in England from a 20-month tenure at Chelsea, where he helped the club secure the Champions League in 2021.
Sky claims that the FA has already had discussions with his representatives.
A fifth #ThreeLions goal for @_DeclanRice – brilliantly assisted by Ollie Watkins! 👌
— England (@England) October 14, 2024
Guardiola’s situation is more complex. The Catalan coach’s contract at Manchester City expires at the end of the season, and he has not yet committed to extending his stay at the Etihad, despite reports of a potential 12-month extension offer.
ESPN reports that Guardiola will communicate his plans to City by the end of January, though this timeline could shift depending on the outcome of the investigation into the club’s alleged financial fair play violations.
Another factor could be the departure of Txiki Begiristain as City’s sporting director at the end of the season, with Hugo Viana announced as his replacement on Saturday.
Guardiola has previously expressed interest in coaching a national team, and it is unlikely that he would consider Spain due to political reasons.
England is currently under the interim coaching of Lee Carsley. While Carsley initially impressed, the recent 2-1 loss to Greece is believed to have hastened the FA’s search for a permanent successor to Gareth Southgate, who resigned after Euro 2024.
Under-21 coach Carsley has given mixed signals about his interest in the position on a permanent basis, but it seems unlikely that he will be considered given the quality of other potential candidates.
Graham Potter and Eddie Howe have also been mentioned as possible options.
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