FA CEO Mark Bullingham joins Georgie Ainslie on the Performance People podcast for a rare in-depth conversation about running English football, the future of The Football Association, England’s World Cup ambitions, Thomas Tuchel, Sarina Wiegman, the Lionesses, Gareth Southgate’s legacy and the commercial growth of the game.
As Chief Executive of The FA, Bullingham describes the organisation as “eight different businesses in one”. He also reflects on an extraordinary period for English football, with England reaching five senior finals in five years after previously reaching one in 50.
In this episode, Mark explains how The FA selected Thomas Tuchel as England men’s head coach, why culture and connection matter in tournament football, and what Tuchel does behind the scenes to stay close to a wider pool of England players throughout the year.
He also discusses the importance of keeping Sarina Wiegman, calling it his “number one objective”, and explains why he believes she has the attributes to do any job in football while remaining deeply committed to the growth of the women’s game.
The conversation also covers the rise of the Lionesses, the legacy of England’s women’s football success, and why sport must adapt to how younger audiences now consume content.
This is a conversation about leadership under pressure, high performance, legacy, culture, commercial growth and the future of English football.
The Performance People podcast, in partnership with J.P. Morgan Private Bank.
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The views and opinions expressed on Performance People are those of the guests and hosts, and do not necessarily represent the views of ainslie + ainslie, J.P. Morgan Private Bank, or any affiliated organisations.
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