Wayne Rooney Backs Thomas Tuchel as England Coach
Wayne Rooney believes the Football Association should stand by Thomas Tuchel as England head coach – unless the dream scenario of landing Pep Guardiola suddenly opens up.
Tuchel remains in place after England’s 2-1 World Cup semi-final defeat to Argentina on Wednesday, a night when a controlled 1-0 lead dissolved late on and his substitutions came under heavy fire. The German, though, has made it clear he intends to stay and guide the Three Lions into Euro 2028.
Rooney, speaking on The Wayne Rooney Show, backed that plan. But only up to a point.
“I don't see anyone else out there at the minute, unless you go and get Pep Guardiola. If Pep is available, then maybe you go and get him,” the former England captain said, laying out a blunt hierarchy: Tuchel, or Guardiola.
Rooney stressed that Tuchel still belongs among the elite. “I think he is a top-class manager and what the top managers do, they learn from the mistakes and they improve and get better.” The message was clear: a painful World Cup exit should be a lesson, not a trigger for panic.
The 41-year-old then challenged the idea that there is an obvious upgrade waiting in the wings. “If we sack him, what managers are we going to bring in? And I don't think there's anyone out there who's as good as Thomas Tuchel, unless Guardiola.”
That “unless” hangs over the whole debate. The FA sounded out Guardiola before turning to Tuchel, with reports of a verbal agreement at one stage. The Catalan is currently a reference point for almost every major football decision in Europe; if he comes into play, the conversation changes.
For now, the focus stays on Tuchel, who signed a two-year contract extension in February, building on the 18‑month deal he agreed when he was appointed in January 2025 on what was framed as a World Cup-winning mission.
Rooney is not entirely convinced by how that mission has been managed.
“I think the FA told us that Thomas Tuchel was coming in to win the World Cup and take us to the next level,” he said. “It's a little bit strange if its priority was to win the World Cup, but then you get a two-year contract before you actually go to the World Cup. That's a bit strange.”
There is another concern for Rooney: tournament know-how. Tuchel’s club record is glittering, but this was his first World Cup.
“But the big thing for me is he's not experienced at World Cups. We had the exact same with [Fabio] Capello. The World Cup is different and you need to feel that environment and now he's felt it.”
That, in Rooney’s eyes, is precisely why the FA should resist a knee-jerk reaction. Tuchel has scars now. He understands the rhythm, the pressure, the small margins of international tournament football. England have paid for that education once. The question is whether the FA will let him use it – unless, of course, Guardiola suddenly walks through the door.
