Thomas Tuchel, the new England manager, has been absent from the last three Premier League weekends, sparking concerns about his commitment to watching domestic games.
The former Chelsea boss, appointed in October last year as Gareth Southgate’s successor, didn’t start his full-time role until the new year.
While his first game in charge won’t be until March against Albania, Tuchel has been actively scouting potential squad members by attending Premier League matches. However, recent absences have raised questions about his involvement.
It has now been revealed that the FA has allowed Tuchel to work from home, a move that gives him flexibility to travel back to Germany to visit his family.
This arrangement is similar to that of Sarina Wiegman, the head coach of the England women’s team, who commutes from the Netherlands while fulfilling her role.
Despite not attending recent matches, there’s no suggestion that Tuchel hasn’t been following games or working remotely from St George’s Park.
Initially, Tuchel attended four matches in early January, but he missed key fixtures like the Carabao Cup semi-finals and the FA Cup third round.
He then made up for the absence by attending seven games between January 14 and 22, including high-profile matches like the north London derby.
In February, Tuchel made trips to Milan to watch Kyle Walker and Madrid to check on Jude Bellingham. However, he missed several weekends of Premier League action, including key FA Cup games.
The FA defended Tuchel’s working arrangements, highlighting that the German coach has attended 17 matches, both domestically and abroad, since taking the job.
A statement from the FA emphasized that Tuchel is fully dedicated to his role and will be assessing players for his first squad selection next month.
When Tuchel took the role, he had expressed his excitement about living and working in England. He acknowledged his desire to remain close to his family in Germany while also committing to being closely involved in the Premier League.
“I want to be close to the majority of the players, and the schedule will allow me to be near my family,” he said at his unveiling. Despite his German roots, Tuchel assured fans of his passion for England and the Premier League.