'He's not English' - Arsene Wenger questions Thomas Tuchel appointment as former Arsenal boss explains why he couldn't have managed England

England have appointed only the third foreign coach in their history with the installment of Tuchel as Gareth Southgate's successor, following in the footsteps of the late Sven Goran-Eriksson and Fabio Capello. However, there have been multiple concerns raised by people within the game, including Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville, insisting that the England manager should be English.

Wenger has now joined that chorus, insisting that he could not have managed England when he was a coach because of his loyalty to France. Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, by comparison, insists that England fans simply have to get behind their new boss, regardless of his nationality.

Wenger told BeIN Sports: "I just feel - to make it as simple as possible - If I’m the manager of England and I play against France I cannot sing the national anthem of France. To me on that front, I prefer that the manager is from the country. Why should the player have to be from a country and not the manager? There is a big inference."

He added: "I think he is a perfect coach and a perfect candidate, but he's not English. But it's allowed so there is nothing wrong with that."

Lee Carsley will manage England's next two fixtures, against Greece and the Republic of Ireland in November, before Tuchel takes over and leads England through qualifying for the 2026 World Cup.