Opinion on Tuchel: No German should coach the “Three Lions”!

“Hey! Not in the goal! No goal! Or is it? Now, what does the linesman decide? … Goal! … Oh, that’s bitter.” Rudi Michel’s commentary on the so-called Wembley goal is legendary. What had happened? England’s Geoff Hurst hit the crossbar in the 1966 World Cup final against Germany, the ball bounced and landed clearly in front of the goal line. The goal was scored anyway – and England were world champions for the first and last time.

This moment remains for eternity, it is football history and contributes significantly to the sporting rivalry between England and Germany, which continues to this day. Now, however, a taboo has been broken in this historic competition: Thomas Tuchel is the first German to take over as coach of the “Three Lions”. And you ask yourself: What’s the point?

After Tuchel was appointed England coach in October 2024, the “Mirror” got to the heart of the problem: “This means that the national team will be led by a coach from England’s biggest rival, as a German takes charge for the first time.”

In the decades after the Wembley goal, the English suffered bitter, even traumatizing defeats against Germany. No other football nation has beaten the “Three Lions” more often. Until England won the 2020 European Championship, the Germans gave the island a collective football nightmare.

And all of a sudden the fans shouldn’t care about all of this? Absurd. It is more than understandable that some English people don’t want a German in their coaching bench given their football history.

Of course, there is no need for the exaggerated patriotism and the inappropriate World War II comparisons pushed by the British tabloid press. The sporting rivalry, on the other hand, is simply part of the game between these big football nations.

Germany against England is one of the most historic duels at European and World Cups. But the encounter loses its appeal when a German suddenly coaches the English. An absolute no-go. German players cannot simply switch to the “Three Lions” without English citizenship. Why is there an exception for trainers? It’s incomprehensible.

Is rivalry no longer sacred to us in football? If a coach with a Schalke past were hired at Dortmund at club level, the fans would be furious – and rightly so. This principle should apply even more to national teams. Rivals remain rivals. Football thrives on healthy competition between clubs and nations, which is what creates the “thrill”. Without it it would be boring.

The fact that the English Football Association (FA) chose Tuchel, a German, as coach shows a certain indifference to football history – and is disrespectful to the fans. Those responsible have completely ignored the decades-long, passionate rivalry between Germany and England. Tactics instead of tradition. A sad trend that is spreading in football.