Thomas Tuchel did not sing God Save The King ahead of his first match as England manager. Earlier this week, the German explained that he would not take part in the national anthem until he had ‘earned the right’ to do so.
Some fans questioned the Football Association’s decision to appoint a non-English coach as Gareth Southgate’s permanent successor. But Tuchel is known to be a passionate anglophile who has previously admitted that he feels more appreciated in England than he does in his native Germany.
Despite that, Tuchel insisted that he would not sing God Save The King – at least for his first few matches in charge. The 51-year-old wants to feel that he has earned the right to sing the national anthem by starting with some positive results and building a strong squad.
He said: “I have made my decision. I think first of all, you have a very powerful, emotional and meaningful national anthem, and I could not be more proud to be on the sideline and be in charge of the English national team.
“It means everything. It means a lot to me, I can assure you. But I can feel it because it is that meaningful and it is that emotional and it is so powerful the national anthem that I have to earn my right to sing it. I feel that it is not just a given. You cannot just sing it. That’s why I decided that I will not sing it in my first matches.
“I will earn it with results, with building a group, with doing my job properly and by creating a feeling where maybe even you guys say at some point ‘Now it’s time that you sing it, it feels like you need to properly earn it and you’re a proper English guy now!'”
Interim boss Lee Carsley, who stepped in following Southgate’s resignation last July, also opted against singing the anthem. The former midfielder, who was born in Birmingham, represented Ireland at international level and said at the time that he was more focused on mentally preparing himself for games.
Tuchel has said that his ultimate aim is to win the 2026 World Cup, which will take place in North America. The former Chelsea boss has signed a contract which runs until the end of that tournament. His first England team selection included debuts for Myles Lewis-Skelly and Dan Burn, and a first cap in 12 months for Marcus Rashford.
