Thomas Tuchel: England boss says he must earn right to sing national anthem

England national team head coach Thomas Tuchel has stated that he needs to "earn the right" to sing the national anthem before matches. Tuchel announced his 26-man squad on Friday for this month's World Cup qualifiers against Albania and Latvia, making it clear that he will not be singing "God Save the King" before the games until he feels he has truly earned the right.

The 51-year-old German coach explained, "I don't think it's something you can take for granted. You can't just sing along casually. That's why I decided not to sing the anthem in the first few games." Tuchel took over the position last October, and he had previously stated that he was undecided on whether he would sing the anthem, showing a thoughtful approach to the tradition.

The former Chelsea and Bayern Munich coach, who officially took over as England national team head coach on January 1st, will make his debut on the Three Lions' bench on March 21st against Albania. Tuchel emphasized, "First of all, you have a very powerful, emotional, and meaningful national anthem. I feel incredibly proud to be standing on the sidelines, coaching the England national team, which is a tremendous honor."

Tuchel added, "It means a great deal to me, I can assure you. But I can feel that the national anthem is so meaningful, so emotional, so powerful, that I have to earn the right to sing it." Last year, Lee Carsley was criticized for not singing the national anthem while temporarily managing the England team, highlighting the sensitivity surrounding this issue.

At the press conference following the squad announcement, Tuchel joked that he does know the lyrics to the national anthem, but he plans to earn the right to sing it through "results, team building, and doing my job well." He stated, "Maybe I need to understand the culture more deeply and earn my right from you, the players, and the fans, so that everyone feels 'he should sing it now, he's one of us, he's the England manager, he should sing the national anthem,'" demonstrating his respect for English tradition and his commitment to earning the fans' trust.