From a castle to a palace: England soccer coach Tuchel visits Prince William then takes in game

Thomas Tuchel went from a castle to a palace on a busy day for England’s recently hired men’s soccer coach.

Tuchel, who will take charge of his first England match next month, was welcomed at Windsor Castle by Prince William on Tuesday.

“Great to meet with new England men’s manager Thomas Tuchel today, and hear about plans for the team,” read a message from the Prince and Princess of Wales on their X account, along with a photo of the prince and Tuchel shaking hands in a doorway at the castle.

Their meeting at Windsor lasted more than an hour, Britain’s Press Association reported.

Continuing the royal theme, Tuchel was later seen attending a match involving Premier League team Crystal Palace, which was hosting Aston Villa in England’s top division. The prince is a passionate Villa fan.

Tuchel, a German, was hired in October as England’s latest foreign-born coach and officially started work in the role on Jan. 1. He has attended many Premier League games to check out players who could make his squad for upcoming World Cup qualifying games.

Tuchel’s first matches in charge will be the qualifiers against Albania on March 21 and Latvia three days later.

His contract with England runs through to the World Cup finals in the United States, Canada and Mexico in the summer of 2026.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer