The FA Officially Approves Hiring of Foreign Coaches; Interim Manager to Lead Nations League Matches in September

According to reports from British media outlet The Mirror, the Football Association (FA) Board has officially approved the hiring of a foreign coach, significantly increasing the chances of Thomas Tuchel and Mauricio Pochettino taking charge of the England national team. Additionally, an interim manager will lead the team for the Nations League matches in September.

British media reports indicate that all nine members of the FA Board have agreed that FA CEO Mark Bullingham can initiate contact with foreign coaches. This means non-native coaches such as Tuchel and Pochettino, who were previously considered strong contenders for the England job, now have a much higher likelihood of being appointed.

However, one of the biggest obstacles to hiring a foreign coach is salary, as the demands of coaches like Tuchel and Pochettino exceed the FA’s budget. Despite this, Bullingham and the FA’s technical director John McDermott have compiled a shortlist of candidates and will meet with each of them individually before submitting their final choice to the FA Board for approval.

Given the time required for interviews and approvals, it is expected that an interim manager will take charge of the two England matches in the Nations League in September. According to the schedule, England will face Ireland away on September 7th and Finland at home on September 11th.

In addition to the increased likelihood of Tuchel and Pochettino taking over, previous candidate Jürgen Klopp personally confirmed his lack of interest in the England manager position, stating, “I currently have no plans to return to coaching, we’ll see what happens in a few months.”