Inside Thomas Tuchel's turbulent love life from divorce to girlfriend 13 years his junior

The FA might have ended their search for a replacement for Gareth Southgate after confirming Thomas Tuchel as the new England manager, but not everyone is satisfied. The appointment has already divided the opinions of fans of the Three Lions, with many questioning the need to favour an overseas coach over options closer to home.

Tuchel’s reputation for falling out with players and club bosses has spiked further trepidation, with the 51-year-old unlikely to toe the party line with the FA when it comes to running the England side.

However, it’s not just Tuchel’s persona that is likely to cause uneasiness among supporters and his employers.

The former PSG, Chelsea, and Bayern Munich coach has also endured a turbulent love life in the past three-and-a-half years, which seemingly caused problems during his previous stint in England. Despite leading the Blues to the Champions League in 2020/21, his divorce from wife Sissi reportedly proved a distraction for players.

All appeared well when after the 1-0 final win over Manchester City in Porto, his partner ran onto the pitch at the Estadio do Dragao stadium before jumping into her then husband’s arms. The pair got married since 2009 and have two daughters together.

The former journalist even gave up her job at German newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung in order to focus on her young family. She initially arrived in England seven months after Tuchel joined Chelsea, and stayed in a hotel before the quartet moved into a house in Cobham, Surrey.

However, in April 2022 the couple confirmed that were splitting after 13 years. It was Sissi who reportedly filed for divorce, citing ‘irreconcilable differences’, and  a judge at London’s High Court accepted their request.

It didn’t take Tuchel long to move on however. Just weeks after his divorce was granted, Tuchel was pictured with a new Brazilian girlfriend 13 years his junior, called Natalie Max.

The pair were snapped relaxing on a yacht in Sardinia and also spent time at a £20,000-a-night private villa. Despite being controversially sacked by chairman Todd Boehly in September 2022 and duly relocating to his native Germany, Tuchel has remained with the mother of two.

But according to the Mail, Tuchel’s private life was said to be critical in his dismissal, with his behaviour changing the players’ perception of him. And the FA will be desperate to avoid any unwanted headlines around the personal life of their new man, following the saga that plagued the reign of Sven-Goran Eriksson.

During the Swede’s tenure in charge of England, Eriksson had an affair with television presenter Ulrika Johnson, although late reconciled with girlfriend Nancy Dell’Olio. Two years later however, while still in charge, he conducted another affair with British-Bangladeshi secretary Faria Alam.