England: FA considers foreign coaches for England national football team
After Gareth Southgate stepped down as England men's national football team manager, a potential decision by the Football Association (FA) has caused a stir. The FA board has reportedly decided to consider foreign coaches in their search for a new manager. Let's take a look at the current candidates.
Search for a new head coach begins
According to a report by The Guardian [Link in English], Mark Bullingham, the FA's chief executive, has made a significant decision regarding the search for a new England men's national football team manager.
He proposed considering candidates from abroad in the search. It is said that all board members agreed. There was no vote on this decision; members reportedly reached an agreement without a voting process.
An important factor in the decision-making process was the example of the England women's national team. Since 2021, it has been coached by Sarina Wiegman, 54, who is from the Netherlands. Under her guidance, the team finished second at the Women's World Cup last year.
The FA has yet to officially confirm this decision.
Sports betting: Who will be the new England men's national football team manager?
Unlike in Germany, betting on who will be the new coach of the national team is allowed in England. Immediately after Gareth Southgate's resignation, speculation began about who could succeed him.
According to bookmakers, the following candidates are currently the favorites for the position:
- Lee Carsley: 3.00
- Graham Potter: 3.50
- Eddie Howe: 3.50
- Jürgen Klopp: 9.00
- Mauricio Pochettino: 13.00
- Frank Lampard: 16.00
- Thomas Tuchel: 18.00
Three foreign coaches – Jürgen Klopp, 57, Mauricio Pochettino, 52, and Thomas Tuchel, 50 – are already on the list of possible candidates, although they are not currently among the top favorites. The FA's current decision could significantly impact the search for a new manager.
Could a foreign coach take over the German national team?
According to The Guardian's report, the English Football Association is considering hiring a foreign coach for the national team. This raises the question of whether this would also be possible in Germany.
In fact, the national coach in Germany does not have to be a German citizen. Therefore, the German Football Association (DFB) could potentially appoint a foreign coach as the national team's head coach. However, this is not expected to happen anytime soon, as the team has shown a significant performance improvement under new coach Julian Nagelsmann, 37, ahead of the 2024 European Championship.
There are already many national football teams coached by foreign trainers. For example, the Belgian national team is led by Domenico Tedesco, 38, a German-Italian coach, and the Portuguese national team is coached by Roberto Martínez, 51, a Spanish trainer. The England men's national team would not be the only one with a foreign coach.
What are the chances for an English coach?
A look at the sports betting odds reveals that, according to bookmakers, four English coaches are currently considered the greatest contenders for the position of England men's national team manager. Lee Carsley, 50, who is currently coaching the England U21 team and won the U-21 European Championships with his team last year, has the highest chances.
Graham Potter, 49, is also considered a possible candidate. Premier League fans know Potter as the former coach of Chelsea FC and Brighton & Hove Albion. He also played in the English Premier League for various clubs.
Potter's reputation was damaged when he was fired by Chelsea after just seven months, with the team at 11th place. Since then, he hasn't taken on a new coaching role. Becoming the English national team manager could potentially restore Potter's reputation.
Another English candidate is Eddie Howe, 46, who has previously been mentioned as a possible national team manager. Howe has been coaching Newcastle United since 2021 and led them to the Champions League for the first time in 20 years in 2023.
Frank Lampard, 46, is also being mentioned as a candidate. Lampard is known to many football fans as a legend at Chelsea FC, where he played for 13 years and achieved great success. However, his coaching career so far has been less successful. He last managed Chelsea as interim coach and is currently without a coaching position.
Will the FA choose a foreign coach?
According to bookmakers, foreign coaches also have a chance to become the new English national team manager. This includes Mauricio Pochettino. The Argentine coached Chelsea last and left the club in the summer. He previously coached PSG, Tottenham Hotspur, and Southampton.
Thomas Tuchel could also have a chance in the race for the England national team manager position. After mixed results at Bayern Munich, Tuchel is currently unemployed. He previously coached Chelsea, PSG, and Borussia Dortmund. Notably, he was very successful with Chelsea and still enjoys high regard among fans and players, making him one of the most promising foreign candidates.
Jürgen Klopp is also being mentioned as a possible German coach for the English national team. Klopp left Liverpool after nine successful years in the summer. He later stated that he would not coach another English team, but it's unclear if this includes the national team.
Coach search expected to continue
According to a report in The Guardian, the FA is only now starting to look for potential new coaches. Therefore, a quick decision is not expected. Negotiations between associations and coaches often take a long time.
So, it remains to be seen if the English Football Association will find a new coach in the coming weeks and who it will be.
Given that the FA is considering foreign coaches in their search for a new England men's national football team manager, and three foreign coaches – Jürgen Klopp, Mauricio Pochettino, and Thomas Tuchel – are currently on the list of possible candidates, it would be intriguing to see if any of these coaches actually accept the offer and become the new manager.
Since the German Football Association (DFB) also does not require their national team coach to be a German citizen, it raises the question if we might also see a foreign coach take over the German national team in the future.
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