When England began their 1998 World Cup campaign under Glenn Hoddle, Thomas Tuchel was far removed from the international football spotlight.
The man now tasked with leading England to World Cup glory was working behind a bar in Stuttgart, serving drinks and trying to rebuild his life after a career-ending knee injury.
Nearly three decades later, Tuchel stands at the helm of England’s national team, hoping to achieve what no foreign manager has managed before – win the World Cup with the Three Lions.
His journey to the top of world football, however, began in one of the most unlikely places.
Football Dream Cut Short
Tuchel played under influential German coach Ralf Rangnick at SSV Ulm during the early 1990s. Even as a player, he was fascinated by tactics and constantly questioned why teams played in certain ways.
Rangnick quickly noticed Tuchel’s analytical mind and believed he had the qualities to become a coach in the future.
But Tuchel’s playing career never reached the heights he dreamed of. Persistent cartilage damage in his knees caused severe pain and eventually forced him to retire at just 25.
The injury shattered his hopes of playing in the Bundesliga and left him struggling financially after an operation failed to save his career.
With football gone, Tuchel returned to education and moved to Stuttgart to study business administration.
Life Behind The Bar
To support himself, Tuchel took a job at the famous Radio Bar in Stuttgart’s historic Radio Barth building.
At the time, the venue had become one of Germany’s most popular cultural hotspots, attracting musicians, artists and members of the country’s emerging hip-hop scene.
Tuchel started by collecting empty bottles and glasses before eventually becoming a bartender.
He later admitted that his first attempts at making cocktails were far from impressive, but the experience taught him valuable lessons that would shape his future.
Working with customers helped him build confidence, improve his communication skills and learn how to deal with different personalities.
The future England boss also became friends with several musicians, including rapper Max Herre, who later became one of Germany’s biggest music stars.
Rangnick’s Crucial Phone Call
While Tuchel was settling into life away from football, Rangnick remained convinced that his former player belonged in the game.
After discovering Tuchel was working in a bar, Rangnick contacted him and offered him an opportunity to join Stuttgart’s academy coaching staff.
Initially, Tuchel was hesitant.
However, everything changed in 1999 when his former club Ulm secured promotion to the Bundesliga. Watching others achieve the dream he once chased convinced him that he needed to return to football.
He left the bar and accepted the coaching opportunity.
It proved to be one of the most important decisions of his life.
Building A Reputation As A Coach
Tuchel began working with Stuttgart’s youth teams and quickly earned a reputation as one of the brightest young coaches in German football.
He worked alongside renowned youth coach Hans-Martin Kleitsch and helped develop future stars including Sami Khedira and Mario Gomez.
His greatest strength was his ability to analyse opponents and identify tactical solutions.
Kleitsch famously nicknamed him “the man with X-ray vision” because of his extraordinary attention to detail and understanding of the game.
Tuchel’s tactical expertise eventually took him to Mainz, Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Bayern Munich, where he established himself as one of Europe’s elite coaches.
England’s World Cup Hope
Now 52, Tuchel finds himself facing perhaps the biggest challenge of his coaching career.
England have not won a major men’s international tournament since the 1966 World Cup and expectations are immense heading into the 2026 tournament.
The German has built his reputation on preparation, analysis and tactical innovation. England supporters will hope those qualities can finally help the national team end decades of disappointment.
From collecting glasses in a Stuttgart nightclub to leading England at the World Cup, Tuchel’s story is one of resilience, reinvention and ambition.
The next chapter could be the most significant of all.
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