The proud mum of Thomas Tuchel believes it is ‘written in the stars’ for her son to win the World Cup for England.
Gabriele Tuchel still lives in Krumbach, a short walk from the school where the young Thomas started his ‘unbelievable journey’. She told how he set his heart on becoming a footballer at a very early age, winning national competitions at school at just 14.
Tuchel went on to become a professional footballer before a ‘personal crisis’ as injury ruled him out of the game at just 25 years old. Since then, Gabriele has seen her son manage Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Bayern Munich, with nine trophies in a glittering career.
But she described her son being unveiled as the new England manager as ‘ein kleines Wunder’…..’a little miracle’. Asked if our first ever German boss can win the World Cup for England, she told the Mirror: “He can do it, I am convinced of that.
Tuchel went on to become a professional footballer before a ‘personal crisis’ as injury ruled him out of the game at just 25 years old. Since then, Gabriele has seen her son manage Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Bayern Munich, with nine trophies in a glittering career.
But she described her son being unveiled as the new England manager as ‘ein kleines Wunder’…..’a little miracle’. Asked if our first ever German boss can win the World Cup for England, she told the Mirror: “He can do it, I am convinced of that.
“He does everything with such passion, obviously there are so many things that can happen in football. But England have not won a trophy in such a long time. It will be 60 years since you last won in 2026.
“I think it is written in the stars, there is a special alignment, you can do it. I think it was my son’s destiny to get this job.”
Thomas, 51, a dad-of-two, loved language from an early age, though his heart was set on becoming a footballer. He enjoyed success with his local school, Simpert-Kraemer Gymnasium, winning the national schools championship final in Berlin at 14.
His greatest achievement, the Champions League with Chelsea, came in 2021 and the league title with Bayern Munich two years ago. But his mum thinks his latest role is ‘something special’.
“It is such an honour for Thomas to be given this job,” she said. “I saw that William, the Prince of Wales wished him luck and even the Prime Minister in Parliament.
“I am not sure that would happen if an Englishman were to take on the job as manager of Germany. You could see from the press conference how much this job means to Thomas, it is such an honour for him, and also for us as a family, as his parents, to see him go on this unbelievable journey to Paris, Chelsea, Bayern Munich and now England.
“Football is so multicultural now and this shows that we can cross borders with the game, and it doesn’t matter if the boss is English, German or Finnish, as long as he keeps his passion for the game, regardless of nationality.
“England have so many good young players, from different backgrounds and cultures, just like the German national side. For Thomas, it is a great opportunity.”
Retired after 40 years as a special needs teacher, Gabriele now works as a local councillor, helping to ensure there are enough nursery places for disabled children in their hometown of Krumbach, a rural backwater in deepest Bavaria. She said that the family remained very close.
Tuchel regularly travels home to see her and his dad Rudolf. The couple also remain close to his teenage children Emma and Kim, now living in Munich with his former wife Sissi, a former business journalist with Suddeutscher Zeitung.
Gabriele is also a confirmed Anglophile, adding: “Thomas has an affinity with England, he has always loved English, he learned it at home when he was younger, he was very determined.
“He comes back to see us, we have a very close relationship with him, and we went to London all the time to see him and our grandchildren. He was also very close to my mother, Josephine Harder, who recently died at the age of 94. His children are both at international school as they speak such good English after their time in London.”
Tuchel’s sister Sabrina is a full time mum, with three children, living in Augsburg. And the mum of England’s new boss had a message to bring cheer to the hearts of millions of Three Lions fans.
“When Thomas puts his mind to something, he has such passion for it, I believe he can do it,” she said. “He needs a bit of luck too, but he has a great team, and you never know what can happen.
“To have a German trainer for England, at one time you would never think that could happen would you? If you think about the history between our two countries, it shows how far we have come, the respect between the two nations.
“Thomas was so, so sad when he got injured and he knew that he could not play again. But it was from that great crisis that he became a trainer. It is unimaginable what he has achieved.
“It is incredible to do that from this little town, all the way to become the trainer of England. It is a real gift that we have received; I am a little religious, but it was almost as if this was fate, that it was meant to be somehow, it was his destiny.
“You can see in the interview how much he felt for the England job, that was very clear. He knows there is a great expectation, and it is quite a task that he has before him, he is the person who has that responsibility.”
She joked: “And actually, it is only football; but for some people, it is their life. The England team has been so unlucky, I think Gareth Southgate, the last manager, was such a good man, he just missed out, somehow it just did not work out for him, but he did absolutely nothing wrong, to get to two finals and a semi-final. Now it is Thomas’ chance, and I think he can take it.”
