Thomas Tuchel’s appointment has been a masterclass in PR (now lets see if there’s one on the pitch)
October 20, 2024 7:36 pm(Updated 7:38 pm)
Whatever you think of the choice of Thomas Tuchel as manager of the England football team it’s a fascinating exercise in PR and communications.
It emerges that the Football Association approached Tuchel in late August and he signed the contract on 8 October, but right throughout this process the FA, one of the heavily scrutinised institutions in the country, ensured the media failed to get a sniff of his likely appointment.
In the past the FA has been a leaky ship but Joanna Manning-Cooper, who was hired as director of marketing, communications and public affairs two years ago, has instilled new discipline; and in his first press conference Tuchel revealed the trusting and confidential relationship with the FA was one of the reasons he was keen on the job.
Indeed Tuchel has been stung by the British media before. The split with his wife while he was still manager of Chelsea provided great fodder for the tabloid media with many salacious details uncovered. This did not deter a self-proclaimed Anglophile from taking a position that will put him firmly back in the sights of the newspapers, but he will need PR nous and protection.
The FA says it is aware that some people would prefer an English manager, but its priority is to deliver trophies. The Daily Mail’s reaction to the appointment was a back-page headline that screamed “A dark day for England. Three Lions gamble on a GERMAN,” accompanied by a scathing opinion piece that said the FA was appointing a foreigner with a “questionable managerial background”. So how will this passionate leader fare in such a cauldron of scrutiny?
Tuchel certainly proved himself a strong communicator with players and fans while at Chelsea, particularly during the period when the club was put up for a firesale after then-owner Roman Abramovich was forced into exile. This role will prove an even tougher communications challenge, however.
One former adviser to Tuchel told me this week: “TT is robust when facing external criticism but is a little too sensitive to internal questioning/pressure from his bosses. He should do well for the first year or two but may then decide the tabloid scrutiny and intrusion into his life is too much.”
He wouldn’t be the first England manager to come to such a conclusion, but we can only hope he wins a trophy first.
