India, July 17 -- While Thomas Tuchel has come under scrutiny after England's heartbreaking defeat in the FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-final, an interesting inside story about his appointment has come to light. Several reports suggest that Pep Guardiola had been a frontrunner to become the Three Lions boss in 2024 before Tuchel was chosen. The Manchester City manager had reportedly "reached verbal agreement" with the English federation, but the deal ultimately collapsed, as he chose to extend his stay at the Premier League club. Tuchel later took over the helm in January 2025, signing an 18-month deal.

Why didn't Pep Guardiola become England football manager?

A recent report by The Athletic claimed that the Football Association (FA) started...