England head coach Thomas Tuchel is confident his side can compete on the levels of the likes of Portugal, Spain and France.
Tuchel, who took over from Gareth Southgate as head coach of the Three Lions in January, admitted that his side can match the high levels of the European footballing nations.
What Tuchel said
“We watched the final together”, making reference to the UEFA Nations League final between Portugal and Spain.
“We had the chance to watch the last one and a half sets of tennis together, which was also amazing inspiration, two amazing players playing the final in Paris.
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It was high level in the final. High quality football. I was feeling a bit concerned for the players that they had to play extra-time, I thought they’d go straight to penalties after a long season. But the first 45 minutes were excellent. Then I could see the players get tired and the level drop a little bit”, Tuchel said.
“Portugal won, congratulations to Roberto [Martinez] and his team. They havee another title. we hope to compete for the final four the next time.
That’s the standard, that’s the benchmark, we will try to hunt that, to reach that and I’m convinced we have everything it takes to match that when we play these teams… even if it didn’t look like that on Saturday between 6pm and 8pm! In general, I’m convinced we have what it takes to compete on that level”, he continued.
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Can England achieve success under Tuchel?
The Three Lions have rarely impressed in their matches under the German coach, with their struggles underlined by a narrow 1-0 win over minnows Andorra last Friday.
The 51-year old has enough time to ensure the team adapts to his tactics before the FIFA World Cup next year, with one eye on the trophy to end the country’s major-trophy drought.
Olakitan is a young writer with a strong passion for sports, having gained experience with IndyPress and Nimelssa Press. His enthusiasm for sports inspired him to cover events both within his school and beyond. With a deep understanding of the game and a refined skillset, he brings sports coverage to a broad, global audience in a way that’s engaging and accessible.
