Before Thomas Tuhel got the job as England manager, the FA contacted both Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Pep Guardiola. Sources confirm this to GiveMeSport.
However, the contact with Solskjaer never developed into a formal process, and the Norwegian never became an official candidate for the position. According to sources, an informal enquiry was made when the FA mapped out several options to replace Gareth Southgate – but talks never got very far, and Solskjaer was never considered relevant in the final phase of the hiring process.
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The inquiry came at the same time as the FA was also considering Pep Guardiola, before they finally landed on Tuchel. The German was hired as England manager after appearing as the FA’s preferred choice.
Although Solskjaer’s involvement was short-lived, the contact shows how extensive the work behind the scenes was – and how many big names the FA considered before settling on Tuchel.
Solskjaer was most recently manager of Turkish club Besiktas, where he had eight months in charge in 2025. Before that, he had been out of work since leaving Manchester United in November 2021, but his name has regularly popped up in connection with various coaching jobs.
Tuchel under pressure – but FA stands firm
The revelation comes as Tuchel’s future has come under scrutiny after England crashed out of the World Cup with a 1-2 loss to Argentina in the semi-finals. The criticism has been hailing, but GiveMeSport is informed that the FA is not considering replacing the German at all.
Sources state that the plan is still for Tuchel to lead England into the European Championship in 2028 – and the World Cup exit has not changed that.
Tuchel himself reiterated his loyalty after the loss and assured that he is “100 percent” focused on the job. At the same time, he defended the tactical choices that were criticized after England squandered a 1-0 lead against the reigning world champions.
Saturday night where England met France in the bronze final in Miami – the “Three Lions” won 6 – 4 and traveled the sweetheart, at least halfway. England got their best World Cup result since 1966.
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