Thomas Tuchel, the incoming England head coach, has turned to his former club Chelsea to bolster his coaching staff. The German tactician is set to take up his new role on 1 January and has already begun assembling a formidable team.
Tuchel's first significant move was securing the services of goalkeeping coach Henrique Hilario. The one-cap Portugal international resigned from Stamford Bridge and is expected to join Tuchel in the New Year.
Hilario worked with Tuchel during their time at Chelsea, a tenure that saw them clinch a Champions League trophy. He will replace Martyn Margetson as England’s goalkeeping coach following Margetson's departure alongside Greth Southgate.
A look at Hilario’s career
Hilario had an illustrious career at Chelsea spanning eight years (2006-2014), during which he won the FA Cup twice. After retiring from professional football, he returned to Stamford Bridge as part of Antonio Conte’s coaching staff in 2016 and remained there until now.
Despite last month's statement by Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca that the Football Association had not formally approached Hilario, Maresca also clarified that he would not obstruct his goalkeeping coach if he wished to pursue the England job.
Further additions from Chelsea
Tuchel has signed an 18-month contract extending through the end of the 2026 World Cup. His backroom staff will also include two other ex-Chelsea employees: assistant Anthony Barry and James Melbourne who recently left his role as head of performance analysis at Chelsea.
The Football Association (FA) will confirm Tuchel’s full England staff later but it won't include interim head coach Lee Carsley or Ashley Cole or Joleon Lescott. Carsley will return to his role as Under-21 boss.
The Football Association (FA) released a statement:
“We are open-minded in terms of allowing people to take chances, Also, we are happy to keep people that want to stay. The ones that want to go, they can go.”
Carsley, who ended his interim reign with a 5-0 thrashing of Ireland, seems to have set a high bar for Tuchel. With a record of five wins from six games, he has left big shoes for the incoming coach to fill. Thomas Tuchel is making strategic moves ahead of his tenure as England head coach. By bringing in experienced staff from Chelsea, he is setting the stage for what could be an exciting era in English football.
