Germany FA chief reveals shock plot to hire England boss Thomas Tuchel after World Cup exit

THE GERMAN FA’s vice-president has revealed he once planned to hire Thomas Tuchel as head coach of the German national team. Han-Joachim Watzke, 67, was elected vice-president in late 2021, and was in position to see the national side crumble at the 2022 Qatar World Cup. Thomas Tuchel was considered for the Germany job after Hansi Flick’s World Cup disaster Credit: Shutterstock Editorial Hans-Joachim Watzke has admitted championing a move for the former Chelsea boss Credit: Getty Under now-Barcelona manager Hansi Flick, the side fell to a shocking 2-1 loss to Japan in their opening match of the tournament. A draw with Spain and a comfortable win over Costa Rica then proved only good enough for third place in the group, which saw them tumble out without a taste of knockout football for the second edition of the tournament in a row. Sign up for the Football newsletter Thank you! The fallout was felt across the country, with Flick being placed under heavy scrutiny for his tactical decisions during the competition. And it was then that Watzke has admitted that he considered bringing in his former Borussia Dortmund colleague Tuchel. Watzke told Sky Sports when asked whether he considered Tuchel for the job: “Well, not in the summer. But I did have the idea. “We were eliminated from the Qatar tournament quite miserably. And then? Well, you do find yourself thinking – for a night or two – about what might happen next.” Flick managed to just about hold on to his role in the end, with the German FA resolving to stay with the boss for the 2024 Euros in Germany. But he would not get that far, finally being sacked after an embarrassing 4-1 friendly loss to Japan in September 2023. Most read in Sport CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS Watzke admitted that things might have worked out better if the decision had been made to bring Tuchel in after the World Cup, but affirmed that the decision was not up to him alone. He continued: “Back then, Oliver Bierhoff was still there (as Germany’s sporting director). Now it’s Rudi Voller. It’s not my decision who becomes national team coach, of course. “But the general stance was simply: We’re sticking with Hansi Flick. And Hansi is an excellent coach — you can see the great job he’s doing at Barcelona right now. “But I had the feeling things would be difficult after Qatar, because after such a failure it would be difficult. In hindsight, I was probably right, the games that followed were also a disaster!” Flick held onto his job for almost a year after the World Cup fiasco Credit: Shutterstock Editorial Watzke’s time with Tuchel at Borussia Dortmund, where the executive acted as CEO from 2005 to 2025, ended on poor terms. But he revealed that their history had no effect on his feedback when England asked about his managerial qualities ahead of his appointment in 2025. He added: “When the English asked me what I thought of Tuchel, I simply said: ‘You can go for him with your eyes closed. You’ll be getting one of the best coaches.'” Comment now