MANCHESTER, England (AP) — England coach Thomas Tuchel has signed a contract extension to the 2028 European Championship.
The German's current deal ran until the end of the World Cup in July. He was appointed in 2024.
The English Football Association announced the new deal on Thursday to avoid any distractions ahead of the World Cup.
“The agreements will ensure clarity and full focus on the pitch for the England squad at this summer’s World Cup. They will also provide continuity into the top-tier UEFA Nations League fixtures that follow almost immediately in September,” the FA said in a statement.
Tuchel oversaw England's perfect qualifying campaign for the World Cup; all eight games were won without conceding a goal.
“It is no secret to anyone that I have loved every minute so far of working with my players and coaches and I cannot wait to lead them to the World Cup,” Tuchel said. “It is an incredible opportunity and we are going to do our very best to make the country proud.”
Tuchel is a serial trophy-winning coach having lifted the Champions League with Chelsea and French and German league titles with Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich.
“He was the right person for the job when he joined us for the World Cup campaign, and has only strengthened his reputation across the qualifiers,” FA chief executive Mark Bullingham said. "We know the players are right behind him and the togetherness within the group is there for all to see.
“There is simply no better candidate available in world football. With his big-game experience, knowledge and passion, he gives the squad the very best chance for success — this summer and with the once-in-a generation Euro being hosted on these shores in two years’ time."
England is co-hosting Euro 2028 in a joint bid between the United Kingdom and Ireland.
James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
FILE - England's coach Thomas Tuchel applauds during the World Cup 2026 group K qualifying soccer match between Albania and England, in Tirana, Albania, Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025.(AP Photo/Vlasov Sulaj, File)
LONDON (AP) — The British economy barely grew in the final three months of 2026, official figures showed Thursday, with critics blaming uncertainty surrounding the government's budget for lower than anticipated business investment and consumption.
The Office for National Statistics said the British economy, the world's sixth-largest by many measures, expanded by only 0.1% on a quarterly basis, the same rate as that recorded in the third quarter.
The economy grew by 1.3% over the year as a whole, up from 1.1% the previous year. It's the highest annual level of growth since 2022.
Economists said uncertainty ahead of the Labour government's budget in late November meant businesses and consumers took a wait-and-see approach.
For much of the period, there had been expectations that Treasury chief Rachel Reeves would break key promises not to raise income tax levels. In the end, the tax rises were far more modest than anticipated.
“The underwhelming final quarter caps off another disheartening year for the U.K. economy with growth tailing off unnervingly quickly after the strong start to 2025, as rising taxes, heightened uncertainty and poor productivity increasingly squeezed activity,” said Suren Thiru, economics director at accounting body ICAEW.
Some recent economic indicators have pointed to a pickup in growth in the early part of 2026. However, growth is not expected to rise dramatically over the full year. Last week, the Bank of England cut its growth forecasts for the next two years, from 1.2% to 0.9% for 2026, and from 1.6% to 1.5% for 2027.
Britain’s Labour government, which has lost significant support since it won the general election in 2024 partly because of the economy, is hoping that with growth tepid and with inflation expected to fall sharply this year, the Bank of England will cut its main interest rate by a further quarter of a percentage point in March to 3.50%. Last week, the bank kept it unchanged at 3.75%.
“The task for 2026 is for the government to double down on its growth agenda to build a sustained economic recovery that will eventually flow into people’s pay packets," said Simon Pittaway, senior economist at the think tank Resolution Foundation.
Governor of the Bank of England, Andrew Bailey, talks during a Bank of England Monetary Policy Report press conference in London, Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. (Carl Court/Pool Photo via AP)
Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves leaves 11 Downing Street for the House of Commons in London, Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
