Tuchel Says England Will Retain Southgate’s Penalty Shootout Strategy

The knockout encounter carries the potential for a penalty shootout should the scores remain level after 90 minutes and extra time—a scenario for which Tuchel insists his squad is thoroughly prepared.

Prior to Southgate’s appointment as England manager in 2016, the national team endured a dismal record in tournament shootouts, winning just one of seven.

That solitary success came against Spain in the quarter-finals of Euro 1996, a tournament that ultimately ended in semi-final heartbreak for the hosts. The weight of history weighed heavily on successive England squads, with defeats to West Germany in 1990, Argentina in 1998, Portugal in 2006 and 2008, and Italy in 2012 cementing a reputation for fragility from 12 yards.

Southgate, who infamously missed the decisive penalty in the Euro 1996 semi-final against Germany, made it his mission to transform England’s approach to shootouts.

Under his stewardship, the team adopted meticulous preparation methods, including extensive data analysis on opposition goalkeepers, psychological conditioning, and simulation drills designed to replicate the high-pressure environment of a shootout. The results were striking: England won three of their four shootouts under Southgate, defeating Colombia at the 2018 World Cup, Switzerland at Euro 2020, and Italy in the delayed Euro 2020 final, with the sole defeat coming against Italy in the final of that same tournament.

Tuchel, who succeeded Southgate after the latter’s departure, has now confirmed that the FA’s established penalty programme will remain intact. Speaking at a pre-match press conference, the German coach emphasized the importance of continuity in an area where England have made tangible progress.

“The FA has a programme that has been in place for years and we follow the programme,” Tuchel said. “We are prepared. We have a process, the players have a process. There is no need to reinvent the wheel when something has been working effectively. The groundwork laid by Gareth and his staff was exceptional, and we are building upon that foundation rather than starting from scratch.”

Tuchel also revealed that he has already determined the order of his designated penalty takers should the match against DR Congo require a shootout. However, he stressed that while preparation is essential, the unique pressure of the moment cannot be fully replicated in training.

“It is difficult to simulate the situation,” he admitted. “I heard Thierry Henry say he can’t remember the walk from the halfway line to the penalty spot in his first penalty shootout for France—you cannot train that. The noise, the fatigue, the weight of expectation—these are factors that only exist in the actual moment. What you can train is the technique, the decision-making, and the mental framework to handle that environment.”

Tuchel’s commitment to Southgate’s methods is rooted in a personal lesson learned the hard way. In 2016, while managing Borussia Dortmund, he presided over a DFB Pokal final against Bayern Munich that ended 0-0 after extra time. Tuchel admitted he had failed to prepare for the possibility of a shootout and was forced to hastily select his takers in the brief interval between the final whistle and the start of the shootout. Bayern won 4-3 on penalties, and Tuchel has since described the experience as a turning point in his managerial career.

“A very painful experience and a big, big scar on me, because I felt really, really badly that I had let myself down, so it was the first time,” he said. “It will never happen again. Since that day, I have ensured that every team I manage is fully prepared for every eventuality, including the pressure of a shootout.”

Tuchel’s England side enter the knockout phase with a blend of the tactical discipline he has instilled and the psychological resilience cultivated under Southgate. The Three Lions topped their group with seven points, scoring eight goals and conceding just two, and are widely considered among the favourites to progress deep into the tournament.

DR Congo, however, will pose a formidable challenge. The Congolese secured their place in the knockout rounds as one of the best third-placed teams, and their physical style and counter-attacking threat have already caused problems for higher-ranked opponents. England will be favourites to advance, but Tuchel’s emphasis on shootout readiness reflects a manager who leaves nothing to chance.