Written by 
Afolabi Ezekiel – October 19, 2024
Exploring the differences between club and national team management, this article examines the cases of Thomas Tuchel, Gareth Southgate, Luis Enrique, and more. It discusses the challenges faced by national team coaches and the potential impact of Tuchel’s appointment on the English national team.
The Difference Between Club and National Team Management
Managing a national team is different from managing a football club and there are numerous case studies to back this up.
Fabio Capello, a successful manager at club level was found wanting when he managed the English National team. Gareth Southgate won less than 33% of his games in charge of Middlesbrough but managed to lead England to their best tournament campaigns since 1998.
In Spain, treble winning coach Luis Enrique led Spain to the 2022 World Cup where they dropped an underwhelming performance while Luis de la Fuente did the unimaginable at the Euros despite acquiring experience through the national team’s junior ranks. You can also say the same about Scaloni who led Argentina to the 2022 World Cup triumph despite acquiring experience through the nation’s under-20 side.
The England FA’s New Lens
Now, it’s Thomas Tuchel’s time, an appointment that showed an unexpected turn from the Football Association that has spent a major part of the last ten years appointing English coaches.
In all truth, the FA never slammed the door on the idea of appointing a non-English manager and have reaped the rewards from the making such moves in the past, recently from the Women’s National team who won the 2022 Women’s European Championship under the tutelage of Sarina Wiegman.
However, it has consistently been made clear by the FA, even as different executives and decision-makers have come and gone, that a homegrown candidate would be its preference.
When the decision was made to appoint a foreign coach, the FA approached Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp , but couldn’t convince the duo. Hence, they decisively moved for Thomas Tuchel who has the best CV among the other candidates. A CV that boasts some trophy wins that no English manager has in their ranks in recent memory.
Back to the headline, De La Fuente, Joachim Low, Scaloni and recently Gareth Southgate have shown that handling a national team is quite different from managing a football club, but it remains to be seen if Tuchel will show this as well.
Concerns on Tuchel’s previous Tenures
One major concern about Thomas Tuchel’s teams is that they look different when his tenure enters the run-in. At Bayern, Chelsea and PSG, even at Dortmund, he didn’t leave in a good circumstance. There were tensions with the clubs’ hierarchy or within the dressing room, sometimes it’s with both.
In other words, Tuchel is far from the FA’s definition of the ideal coach for the Three Lions, a coach who is calm, keeps his head down and chooses his words carefully. Of course, it would be an easier task to get behind the team if it is under the tutelage of an Englishman no matter the circumstances than it would be if a foreigner is at the helm of affairs.
The Task Ahead
Should Tuchel succeed where his predecessors failed, every England supporter will back him irrespective of his nationality.
However, Thomas Tuchel’s initial challenge will be to match the standard set by Southgate during his tenure. Given the unique rhythm and demands of international football, this is far from a guaranteed outcome.