(Thread) The beginnerโs guide to Thomas Tuchel๐ฉ๐ช 
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- FC Augsburg II
- Mainz 05
- Borussia Dortmund
- Paris Saint-Germain
- Chelsea
- Bayern Munich
- Philosophy
- Honours
- Issues at previous clubs
- Youth integration
- Manchester United
- FC Augsburg II
- Mainz 05
- Borussia Dortmund
- Paris Saint-Germain
- Chelsea
- Bayern Munich
- Philosophy
- Honours
- Issues at previous clubs
- Youth integration
- Manchester United
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Thomas Tuchel took on his inaugural first-team coaching role at the helm of FC Augsburg II for the 2007/08 season. Among his playing squad was none other than Julian Nageslmann, an injury prone defender who pivoted to a career in coaching after Tuchel instructed him to scout for the club.
Tuchel guided the club to a fourth-placed finish, and put many top German clubs on high-alert.
Thomas Tuchel took on his inaugural first-team coaching role at the helm of FC Augsburg II for the 2007/08 season. Among his playing squad was none other than Julian Nageslmann, an injury prone defender who pivoted to a career in coaching after Tuchel instructed him to scout for the club.
Tuchel guided the club to a fourth-placed finish, and put many top German clubs on high-alert.
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The German was appointed as the manager of Mainz 05 in 2009, and won 72 of his 184 games with the club. He led Mainz to a ninth placed finish in his first year, but it was the following season where things would take off.
Led by rising star Andrรฉ Schรผrrle, Mainz finished fifth in the Bundesliga, earning a spot in the third-qualifying round of the 2011โ12 UEFA Europa League. Schรผrrle hit 15 goals in his debut season, and only four Bundesliga sides found the net more times than the free scoring Mainz, who managed 52 as a team.
Schรผrrle's โฌ8m move to Bayer Leverkusen coincided with Mainz slipping to a 13th placed finish the following season. This would be followed with another 13th placed finish in 2012/13, before Tuchel guided the club to 7th in his final season.
This was enough to earn qualification to the group stages of the 2014โ15 UEFA Europa League, and Tuchel asked to be released from his contract at the end of the season, later stating that he "couldn't see how [the team] could reinvent [itself] once more the coming summer."
The German was appointed as the manager of Mainz 05 in 2009, and won 72 of his 184 games with the club. He led Mainz to a ninth placed finish in his first year, but it was the following season where things would take off.
Led by rising star Andrรฉ Schรผrrle, Mainz finished fifth in the Bundesliga, earning a spot in the third-qualifying round of the 2011โ12 UEFA Europa League. Schรผrrle hit 15 goals in his debut season, and only four Bundesliga sides found the net more times than the free scoring Mainz, who managed 52 as a team.
Schรผrrle's โฌ8m move to Bayer Leverkusen coincided with Mainz slipping to a 13th placed finish the following season. This would be followed with another 13th placed finish in 2012/13, before Tuchel guided the club to 7th in his final season.
This was enough to earn qualification to the group stages of the 2014โ15 UEFA Europa League, and Tuchel asked to be released from his contract at the end of the season, later stating that he "couldn't see how [the team] could reinvent [itself] once more the coming summer."
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Following the departure of Jรผrgen Klopp, Dortmund appointed Tuchel as their new head coach. He spent two seasons with BVB, winning 67 of his 107 games and guiding the club to second and third placed finishes in the Bundesliga.
In Tuchel's first season, Dortmund reached the 2016 DFB-Pokal final, losing to Bayern Munich on penalties, as well as suffering quarter-final elimination in the UEFA Europa League at the hands of Klopp's Liverpool. A second placed league finish meant UEFA Champions League football was secured for the following season.
2016/17 heralded a DFB-Pokal crown for Dortmund, Tuchel's first major honour as a coach. His side reached the quarter-final of the UEFA Champions League, eliminated by an 18-year-old Kylian Mbappรฉ and Monaco. A third-placed league finish was to be Tuchel's last, as he left Signal Iduna Park controversially, a situation I will touch on later.
Following the departure of Jรผrgen Klopp, Dortmund appointed Tuchel as their new head coach. He spent two seasons with BVB, winning 67 of his 107 games and guiding the club to second and third placed finishes in the Bundesliga.
In Tuchel's first season, Dortmund reached the 2016 DFB-Pokal final, losing to Bayern Munich on penalties, as well as suffering quarter-final elimination in the UEFA Europa League at the hands of Klopp's Liverpool. A second placed league finish meant UEFA Champions League football was secured for the following season.
2016/17 heralded a DFB-Pokal crown for Dortmund, Tuchel's first major honour as a coach. His side reached the quarter-final of the UEFA Champions League, eliminated by an 18-year-old Kylian Mbappรฉ and Monaco. A third-placed league finish was to be Tuchel's last, as he left Signal Iduna Park controversially, a situation I will touch on later.
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Tuchel joined PSG in 2018, having rejected an offer from Bayern Munich to become head coach.
In November of his first season, Tuchel broke the record for the most wins to start to a domestic league season, as he registered twelve straight victories. This record was later extended by two additional victories, before the club saw their 100% start to the season halted on 2 December, with a 2โ2 draw away to Bordeaux.
The Parisians topped their UEFA Champions League group, famously going out at the hands of Manchester United in the first knockout round.
PSG won Ligue 1 with six weeks to spare, and Tuchel won the first league title of his career.
The following season saw another Ligue 1 crown, which formed part of a remarkable domestic quadruple for the club, as they went on to lose their first ever UEFA Champions League final at the hands of Bayern Munich.
Tuchel's third season in Paris ended with his sacking on Christmas Eve, with PSG third in the league. His departure was once more marred by a fractured relationship with the club's hierarchy, which I will also touch on later.
The German coach left the French capital with the best win percentage in Ligue 1 history (75.6%) and the highest average of points per game (2.37).
Tuchel joined PSG in 2018, having rejected an offer from Bayern Munich to become head coach.
In November of his first season, Tuchel broke the record for the most wins to start to a domestic league season, as he registered twelve straight victories. This record was later extended by two additional victories, before the club saw their 100% start to the season halted on 2 December, with a 2โ2 draw away to Bordeaux.
The Parisians topped their UEFA Champions League group, famously going out at the hands of Manchester United in the first knockout round.
PSG won Ligue 1 with six weeks to spare, and Tuchel won the first league title of his career.
The following season saw another Ligue 1 crown, which formed part of a remarkable domestic quadruple for the club, as they went on to lose their first ever UEFA Champions League final at the hands of Bayern Munich.
Tuchel's third season in Paris ended with his sacking on Christmas Eve, with PSG third in the league. His departure was once more marred by a fractured relationship with the club's hierarchy, which I will also touch on later.
The German coach left the French capital with the best win percentage in Ligue 1 history (75.6%) and the highest average of points per game (2.37).
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Just a month later the coach arrived in England, as he was appointed manager of Chelsea on an 18-month contract. He took charge of his first match the following day, overseeing a 0-0 draw at home to Wolves, a tie that set the record for most possession (78.9%) and passes completed (820) for a manager's first Premier League game.
Tuchel became the first head coach in Premier League history to keep consecutive home clean sheets in their first five home matches, and enjoyed a 14-game unbeaten streak to begin his Chelsea career.
Chelsea dumped Manchester City out of the FA Cup with a 1-0 semi-final win in April, going on to lose the final to Leicester City. Tuchel would come up against Pep Guardiola's City in the UEFA Champions League final at the end of the season, as the German won the tournament for the first time in his career.
On 12 March 2022, Chelsea F.C. was frozen as an asset of Roman Abramovich as part of the war sanctions on Russian businesses. Tuchel was forced to operate under several budget restrictions, yet continued to make clear his commitment to the club during difficult times.
Sanctions were lifted ahead of the 2022/23 season, but Tuchel would be sacked in September following a 1โ0 away loss to Dinamo Zagreb in the opening Champions League fixture.
New Chairman Todd Boehly went transfer crazy, and Tuchel was reportedly dissatisfied over his increased involvement in Chelsea's day-to-day transfer activity.
Tuchel departed Chelsea with a record of 60 wins, 24 draws, and 16 defeats in 100 games.
Just a month later the coach arrived in England, as he was appointed manager of Chelsea on an 18-month contract. He took charge of his first match the following day, overseeing a 0-0 draw at home to Wolves, a tie that set the record for most possession (78.9%) and passes completed (820) for a manager's first Premier League game.
Tuchel became the first head coach in Premier League history to keep consecutive home clean sheets in their first five home matches, and enjoyed a 14-game unbeaten streak to begin his Chelsea career.
Chelsea dumped Manchester City out of the FA Cup with a 1-0 semi-final win in April, going on to lose the final to Leicester City. Tuchel would come up against Pep Guardiola's City in the UEFA Champions League final at the end of the season, as the German won the tournament for the first time in his career.
On 12 March 2022, Chelsea F.C. was frozen as an asset of Roman Abramovich as part of the war sanctions on Russian businesses. Tuchel was forced to operate under several budget restrictions, yet continued to make clear his commitment to the club during difficult times.
Sanctions were lifted ahead of the 2022/23 season, but Tuchel would be sacked in September following a 1โ0 away loss to Dinamo Zagreb in the opening Champions League fixture.
New Chairman Todd Boehly went transfer crazy, and Tuchel was reportedly dissatisfied over his increased involvement in Chelsea's day-to-day transfer activity.
Tuchel departed Chelsea with a record of 60 wins, 24 draws, and 16 defeats in 100 games.
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Tuchel joined Bayern Munich in March 2023, and helped the club to the Bundesliga title in dramatic circumstances that season. A 4-1 aggregate loss to Manchester City saw Bayern exit the UEFA Champions League at the quarter-final stage.
At the season's end, Bayern fired Oliver Kahn as CEO and Hasan Salihamidลพiฤ as sporting director: the pair had led the charge to recruit Tuchel two months prior.
Harry Kane's โฌ100m arrival bolstered Bayern's squad ahead of the 2023/24 season, but the prospect of Bayer Leverkusen's invincible treble has seen the Bavarian giants lose their grasp on the Bundesliga title for the first time in 11 years.
Friction between the German coach and the club's board led to the announcement of his departure, which will occur at the end of this season. At the time of writing Bayern are in the UEFA Champions League final against Real Madrid.
Tuchel joined Bayern Munich in March 2023, and helped the club to the Bundesliga title in dramatic circumstances that season. A 4-1 aggregate loss to Manchester City saw Bayern exit the UEFA Champions League at the quarter-final stage.
At the season's end, Bayern fired Oliver Kahn as CEO and Hasan Salihamidลพiฤ as sporting director: the pair had led the charge to recruit Tuchel two months prior.
Harry Kane's โฌ100m arrival bolstered Bayern's squad ahead of the 2023/24 season, but the prospect of Bayer Leverkusen's invincible treble has seen the Bavarian giants lose their grasp on the Bundesliga title for the first time in 11 years.
Friction between the German coach and the club's board led to the announcement of his departure, which will occur at the end of this season. At the time of writing Bayern are in the UEFA Champions League final against Real Madrid.
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Using various systems across his career, Tuchel's main focus has almost always been on possession and pressing.
With Dortmund, Tuchel often used the 4โ1โ4โ1 and 4โ2โ3โ1 formations; with the former, he made his team force overloads in space out wide, while with the latter, he looked to create overloads in pockets of space in between the lines of the opposition.
At Paris Saint-Germain, Tuchel primarily played a 4โ3โ3 with plenty of flair to emphasize the attacking capabilities of wide forwards Neymar and Mbappรฉ, although he used up to ten different formations while at the club. During the 2018โ19 season, the forward line, with Neymar and Mbappรฉ flanking central target man Cavani, regularly dropped into the half-space or into wide areas. The team's full-backs would also push up alongside the midfield in order to attain positional overloads, and players were encouraged to find space between the lines of defence and midfield to disorganize the opposition. Simultaneously, this would disrupt attempts to man-mark Neymar and Mbappรฉ and create open space behind the defensive line for the pair to run into.
At Chelsea, Tuchel was known for making frequent player alterations in his early tenure; he made 39 changes to the starting lineup in 10 Premier League games between January and March 2021. He mostly preferred a 3โ4โ2โ1 with ball progression largely coming from the wingbacks, a position mainly played by Reece James and Ben Chilwell, while also restoring Antonio Rรผdiger as a first-team regular, deploying him as a left centre-back in a back three, despite Rรผdiger being right-footed.
Sources close to Chelsea noted training sessions feature a light tone, with a wide range of drills including smaller footballs or using hands instead of feet in some games. He also used staggered recovery, such as lighter sessions after big games or rest days altogether. According to Andreas Christensen, in days leading up to games, training intensity typically increases, with focus on possession over tactics, such as three v two passing drills.
Using various systems across his career, Tuchel's main focus has almost always been on possession and pressing.
With Dortmund, Tuchel often used the 4โ1โ4โ1 and 4โ2โ3โ1 formations; with the former, he made his team force overloads in space out wide, while with the latter, he looked to create overloads in pockets of space in between the lines of the opposition.
At Paris Saint-Germain, Tuchel primarily played a 4โ3โ3 with plenty of flair to emphasize the attacking capabilities of wide forwards Neymar and Mbappรฉ, although he used up to ten different formations while at the club. During the 2018โ19 season, the forward line, with Neymar and Mbappรฉ flanking central target man Cavani, regularly dropped into the half-space or into wide areas. The team's full-backs would also push up alongside the midfield in order to attain positional overloads, and players were encouraged to find space between the lines of defence and midfield to disorganize the opposition. Simultaneously, this would disrupt attempts to man-mark Neymar and Mbappรฉ and create open space behind the defensive line for the pair to run into.
At Chelsea, Tuchel was known for making frequent player alterations in his early tenure; he made 39 changes to the starting lineup in 10 Premier League games between January and March 2021. He mostly preferred a 3โ4โ2โ1 with ball progression largely coming from the wingbacks, a position mainly played by Reece James and Ben Chilwell, while also restoring Antonio Rรผdiger as a first-team regular, deploying him as a left centre-back in a back three, despite Rรผdiger being right-footed.
Sources close to Chelsea noted training sessions feature a light tone, with a wide range of drills including smaller footballs or using hands instead of feet in some games. He also used staggered recovery, such as lighter sessions after big games or rest days altogether. According to Andreas Christensen, in days leading up to games, training intensity typically increases, with focus on possession over tactics, such as three v two passing drills.
https://x.com/darraghmoloney9/status/1784527849564590114?s=46&t=A6mmW4I3peUVUfWemkTh4A
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DFB-Pokal: 2016โ17
Ligue 1: 2018โ19, 2019โ20
Coupe de France: 2019โ20
Coupe de la Ligue: 2019โ20
Trophรฉe des Champions: 2018, 2019
UEFA Champions League: 2020โ21
UEFA Super Cup: 2021
FIFA Club World Cup: 2021
Bundesliga: 2022โ23
VDV Bundesliga Coach of the Season: 2015โ16
Premier League Manager of the Month: March 2021, October 2021
German Football Manager of the Year: 2021
UEFA Men's Coach of the Year: 2020โ21
IFFHS Men's World's Best Club Coach: 2021
The Best FIFA Football Coach: 2021
DFB-Pokal: 2016โ17
Ligue 1: 2018โ19, 2019โ20
Coupe de France: 2019โ20
Coupe de la Ligue: 2019โ20
Trophรฉe des Champions: 2018, 2019
UEFA Champions League: 2020โ21
UEFA Super Cup: 2021
FIFA Club World Cup: 2021
Bundesliga: 2022โ23
VDV Bundesliga Coach of the Season: 2015โ16
Premier League Manager of the Month: March 2021, October 2021
German Football Manager of the Year: 2021
UEFA Men's Coach of the Year: 2020โ21
IFFHS Men's World's Best Club Coach: 2021
The Best FIFA Football Coach: 2021
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Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke described Tuchel as a "difficult person". The coach reportedly expressed discontent over transfer activity, with Watzke sanctioning the departures of Hummels, Gรผndoฤan, and Mkhitaryan, despite guarantees they would not leave. Tuchel also maintained fractured relations with club stalwarts Roman Weidenfeller, Neven Subotiฤ, and Jakub Bลaszczykowski, and aimed to replace the trio, which Watzke disagreed with.
At PSG, Tuchel said he felt "[more like] a politician in sport" than a coach. These comments, as well as his previous criticism over the club's transfer activity, were condemned by PSG's sporting director Leonardo, who said Tuchel "[must] respect the people above [him]", and labelled the comments as damaging for the club.
Tuchel and Leonardo reportedly fell out over the signing of defensive midfielder Danilo Pereira, with the coach requesting a central defender; in response, Tuchel often fielded Pereira as a central defender.
According to The Athletic, Tuchel was reportedly dissatisfied over his increased involvement in Chelsea's day-to-day transfer activity as a result of the dismissals of club director Marina Granovskaia and technical advisor Petr ฤech (with whom Tuchel had a strong working relationship).
Sources close to Tuchel claim he disagreed with the club's transfer strategy and targets, such as not being involved in the loan signing of Denis Zakaria and personally expressing interest in moves for Matthijs de Ligt, Raphinha, Frenkie de Jong, and Presnel Kimpembe.
Tuchel was reportedly inconsistent regarding transfers, expressing both reluctance and support towards potential moves for Gabriel Jesus, Edson รlvarez, Romรฉo Lavia, and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke described Tuchel as a "difficult person". The coach reportedly expressed discontent over transfer activity, with Watzke sanctioning the departures of Hummels, Gรผndoฤan, and Mkhitaryan, despite guarantees they would not leave. Tuchel also maintained fractured relations with club stalwarts Roman Weidenfeller, Neven Subotiฤ, and Jakub Bลaszczykowski, and aimed to replace the trio, which Watzke disagreed with.
At PSG, Tuchel said he felt "[more like] a politician in sport" than a coach. These comments, as well as his previous criticism over the club's transfer activity, were condemned by PSG's sporting director Leonardo, who said Tuchel "[must] respect the people above [him]", and labelled the comments as damaging for the club.
Tuchel and Leonardo reportedly fell out over the signing of defensive midfielder Danilo Pereira, with the coach requesting a central defender; in response, Tuchel often fielded Pereira as a central defender.
According to The Athletic, Tuchel was reportedly dissatisfied over his increased involvement in Chelsea's day-to-day transfer activity as a result of the dismissals of club director Marina Granovskaia and technical advisor Petr ฤech (with whom Tuchel had a strong working relationship).
Sources close to Tuchel claim he disagreed with the club's transfer strategy and targets, such as not being involved in the loan signing of Denis Zakaria and personally expressing interest in moves for Matthijs de Ligt, Raphinha, Frenkie de Jong, and Presnel Kimpembe.
Tuchel was reportedly inconsistent regarding transfers, expressing both reluctance and support towards potential moves for Gabriel Jesus, Edson รlvarez, Romรฉo Lavia, and Cristiano Ronaldo.
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Attached is a short thread I put together on debuts Tuchel has handed out to players aged 21 or under throughout his career.
In total, he has overseen the debuts of 49 players 21 or under.
Attached is a short thread I put together on debuts Tuchel has handed out to players aged 21 or under throughout his career.
In total, he has overseen the debuts of 49 players 21 or under.
https://x.com/darraghmoloney9/status/1784180017091453001?s=46&t=A6mmW4I3peUVUfWemkTh4A
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With reports linking Tuchel to the Manchester United hotseat, would it be a marriage that could work?
Adaptable, a good communicator and tactically astute, he certainly ticks a lot of the boxes INEOS will likely be looking for in a new head coach.
His previous hierarchy clashes should be avoidable at United, should INEOS employ the right people for him to work with, or under.
With reports linking Tuchel to the Manchester United hotseat, would it be a marriage that could work?
Adaptable, a good communicator and tactically astute, he certainly ticks a lot of the boxes INEOS will likely be looking for in a new head coach.
His previous hierarchy clashes should be avoidable at United, should INEOS employ the right people for him to work with, or under.
https://x.com/darraghmoloney9/status/1784594603162648823?s=46&t=A6mmW4I3peUVUfWemkTh4A
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