News Focus
- Thomas Tuchel served drinks at a busy Stuttgart bar in the late 1990s following a knee injury that forced him to stop playing football at age 23.
- Ralf Rangnick telephoned the bar to offer Tuchel his first coaching job at VfB Stuttgart’s youth academy in 1999.
- The Radio Bar was a famous meeting point for German hip-hop artists, and Tuchel became close friends with musician Max Herre during his time there.
- At Stuttgart, senior coach Hans-Martin Kleitsch praised Tuchel’s sharp mind by calling him “the man with X-ray vision” for his tactical analysis.
- The 52-year-old German now manages the England national team and hopes to win the World Cup for the Three Lions.
In 1998, while Glenn Hoddle guided England at the World Cup in France, Thomas Tuchel was working behind a bar in Stuttgart. The young German had given up his dream of becoming a professional player. Damage to his knee cartilage had forced him into retirement, leaving him short of money and searching for work.
Tuchel chose to study business administration and found a job at the Radio Bar. This night club sat inside the historic Radio Barth building and attracted huge crowds from the local hip-hop scene. He started by collecting empty bottles and later mixed cocktails for guests. He became friends with famous rapper Max Herre, who often saw Tuchel at his concerts. Tuchel later said that these shifts taught him how to speak confidently with strangers.
His life changed when Ralf Rangnick, his former manager at SSV Ulm, called the bar. Rangnick was shocked to learn that his old player was working there to survive. He immediately invited Tuchel to join VfB Stuttgart as a youth coach. The offer came in 1999 after Tuchel heard that his old club Ulm had won promotion to the Bundesliga. He felt angry that others were living his dream, so he accepted the role and left the bar for good.
At Stuttgart’s academy, Tuchel first trained the under-15 side before assisting the under-19 team under Hans-Martin Kleitsch. The young coach stood out because of his clever match analysis. Kleitsch said Tuchel had “X-ray vision” because he could break down exactly how opponents played. He helped develop future stars like Sami Khedira and Mario Gomez during his time at the club.
Now, nearly thirty years after he served his last drink in Stuttgart, Tuchel stands as the manager of the England national team. He faces the difficult task of winning the World Cup for a nation that has waited decades for success. English supporters will hope that the sharp mind first spotted by Rangnick can finally bring football home.