Tuchel began coaching during his final season at Ulm, as well as studying for a business degree and working in a cocktail bar.

Ralf Rangnick – one of German football’s most influential coaches – gave Tuchel his first coaching opportunity by hiring him as a youth-team coach at VfB Stuttgart in 2000.

Tuchel helped with the development of future Germany internationals Mario Gomez and Holgar Badstuber before returning to Augsburg in a similar role in 2005.

Tuchel took charge of the club’s second team in 2007 after gaining his Uefa pro licence, and joined Bundesliga side Mainz 05 the following year.

After winning the Bundesliga Under-19 title in his first season – the first in the club’s history – Tuchel was promoted to first-team manager and soon began to excel.

“He made such a phenomenal impression on me that he became coach of our senior team,” Mainz managing director Christian Heidel said.

After leading Mainz into the Europa League twice in five seasons, Tuchel stepped down and took a year out of football.

In 2015 he returned with the unenviable task of replacing Jurgen Klopp as Borussia Dortmund head coach, before he joined Paris St-Germain in 2018 and Chelsea in 2021.

In 2023 Tuchel replaced Julian Nagelsmann as Bayern Munich manager, but he left at the end of last season with a year remaining on his contract after they failed to win the Bundesliga title for the first time in 12 years.

HISTORY will be made in Philippines as Team Asia go up against Team Europe for the first-ever Reyes Cup Pool tournament.

It promises to be a historic celebration of pool as the finest players from each continent will face off in an exhilarating four-day battle.

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The likes of Aloysius Yapp and Ko Pin Yi will lead the charge for Team Asia.

While Mosconi Cup champions Jayson Shaw and Francisco Sanchez Ruiz are set to represent Team Europe.

However, reigning world eight-ball champ Joshua Filler has now been REMOVED from the Reyes Cup due to ‘concerns over contractual obligations’ around the event.

Matchroom Multi Sport CEO Emily Frazer revealed that the competition has been named after Efren Reyes due unwavering passion for the sport for over 50 years.

Reyes said: “I am truly humbled and honored that Matchroom has chosen to name this prestigious event after me.

“The Efren Reyes Cup is not just a tournament, it’s a celebration of the sport we love, and I am excited to see the pool community come together for its first edition in the Philippines”

When is the Reyes Cup Pool 2024?

• The Reyes Cup Pool 2024 will get underway on Tuesday, October 15 before concluding on Friday, October 18.
• Matches are scheduled to start at 12:30pm in the UK – 7:30pm local time.
• Ninoy Aquino National Stadium in Manila, Philippines is the chosen venue for this huge tournament and it holds a seating capacity of 6,000 spectators.
• This is the first-ever Reyes Cup Pool competition.

What TV channel is the Reyes Cup Pool 2024 on and can it be live streamed?

• Fans in the UK can watch the action live on Sky Sports Mix.
• Sky Sports customers can stream the competition via NOW TV.

What is the Reyes Cup Pool 2024 format?

The Reyes Cup will follow the same format as the Mosconi Cup.

Team Asia and Team Europe will compete over four days in several doubles and singles matches.

And the first team to win 11 matches will be victorious.

What are the teams?

Team Asia: Johann Chua, Aloysius Yapp, Ko Pin Yi, Carlo Biado, Duong Quoc Hoang

Team Europe: Jayson Shaw, Francisco Sanchez Ruiz, Mikey Krause, Eklent Kaci, David Alcaide

Reyes Cup Pool 2024 schedule

Tuesday, October 15
From 12:30pm BST

Match 1: Team Europe 5-4 Team Asia

Match 2: Ko Pin Yi & Aloysius Yapp 5-2 Francisco Sanchez Ruiz & David Alcaide

Match 3: Duong Quoc Hoand 5-2 Eklent Kaci

Match 4: Jayson Shaw & Mickey Krause 5-3 Johann Chua & Carlo Biado

Match 5: Aloysius Yapp 5-4 Jayson Shaw

Wednesday, October 16
From 12:30pm BST

Match 1: Team Asia vs Team Europe

Match 2: Ko Pin Yi vs Francisco Sanchez Ruiz

Match 3: Duong Quoc Hoang & Aloysius Yapp vs David Alcaide & Eklent Kaçi

Match 4: Carlo Biado vs Mickey Krause

Match 5: Johann Chua & Ko Pin Yi vs Jayson Shaw & Francisco Sanchez Ruiz

Thursday, October 17
From 12:30pm BST

Friday, October 18
From 12:30pm BST

Dustin Poirier nearly had his fourth fight with Conor McGregor.

Poirier and McGregor have a well-storied history, most recently fighting at UFC 264 where McGregor shattered his leg in their trilogy fight. After that bout, McGregor lobbed vicious insults and Poirier and his family, turning their rivalry into a more bitter type of feud. And recently that feud nearly spilled over into the public.

“No. Dude, that was crazy,” Poirier told Ariel Helwani about nearly running into McGregor at a convention in Las Vegas. “I had just finished my signing for Celsius and I’m partnered with a seltzer water… so I was walking over to their booth to meet some people and Conor was behind me apparently. And my agent was walking behind me and he grabs me — Conor might have saw the back of my head, I don’t know. I didn’t see him.

“[My agent] grabs my shoulders and says, ‘Go this way, to the right, to the right.’ So we start walking to the right, I’m like, ‘The booth is right there!’ We’re walking to the right and once we get clear of everybody he’s like, ‘Dude, we almost had a big problem.’ That’s what that was.”

McGregor did see Poirier as a video of their near run-in made the rounds on social media, but did not try to stir up anything with the former interim lightweight champion. But Poirier believes that if they’d seen each other, instead of just passed by, things might have gotten dramatic.

“I don’t know, bro. We have such a long history,” Poirier said. “He said some foul things. You ever watch Family Guy? You know when Peter and the Chicken run into each other? They freaking go on this crazy fight, they’re falling down hills, they’re fighting for an hour — that’s what would have happened.

“Yeah, for sure [we would have fought]. Just everything we have over the past however many years since our first fight. So sure we would have.”

“It’s not cordial anymore,” Poirier continued. “The both of us, I believe both of us. Once my guy walked us away and told me what happened and why we had to make that right, I was like, ‘If we’d have made eye contact, if our eyes would have met, it would have been bad, probably.”

Of course there is a way for the two men to settle their differences: a fought fight in the octagon. McGregor was supposed to face Michael Chandler at UFC 303 until an injury forced him off the card. Now the former champ-champ has his eyes set on a 2025 return, and recently suggested Poirier as a possible opponent. “The Diamond” also recently said he intends to fight at least one time next year before hanging up the gloves for good, but doesn’t seem sold on the idea that McGregor is actually coming back.

“I don’t know if he’s ever going to fight again,” Poirier said. “… We’ll see. I don’t know. I was kind of thinking for sure he was at the beginning of his return against Chandler, then it kept getting drug on, and I don’t know.”

DWCS. Four more contracts were awarded on the final episode of Contender Series.

MMA Retirement. Donald Cerrone plans to end his retirement, fight two more times.

Dislike. Dana White is not a fan of “Cowboy” coming back.

Purpose. Francis Ngannou reveals why he’s going forward with PFL fight despite tragic loss of his son this year.

Lawsuits. Jake Paul sued Eddie Hearn and Matchroom Boxing right back.

DUI. Mike Perry was arrested for DUI in his home state of Florida.

Rankings. Dana White sounds off on the UFC rankings again following UFC 307.

Dana White scrum.

Francis Ngannou and Renan Ferreira on PFL Fight Week.

Contender Series announcements.

Khamzat Chimaev vs. Kamaru Usman.

Sounds like we might have a fight.

Classy guy.

I completely forgot Corey Anderson was champion.

Shade.

Contender Series is officially in the books for 2024. Over 40 new UFC signees have joined the promotion in the past couple of months and quite a few of them look to be very promising. Look for my prospect breakdown from this season later this week.

If you find something you’d like to see in the Morning Report, hit up @AlexanderKlee or @JedKMeshew on Twitter and let us know about it. Also, follow MMAFighting on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and like us on Facebook.

Scotland defender John Souttar says playing for the national team with his childhood friend Ryan Gauld has been “amazing”.

The 28-year-olds played football together as children in Aberdeenshire before they progressed through Brechin City’s youth team.

They then both moved to Dundee United – where they shared accommodation with Scotland captain Andrew Robertson – and became first-team regulars at Tannadice before their careers took different paths.

Souttar moved to Heart of Midlothian in 2016 then Rangers in 2022 while Gauld is at Canadian club Vancouver Whitecaps via spells in Portugal with Sporting, Vitoria de Setubal, Aves and Farense – as well as loan move to Hibernian.

The pair played frequently together in Scotland youth sides and were reunited in dark blue when Gauld came off the bench to join Souttar in Saturday’s 2-1 Nations League defeat against Croatia in Zagreb.

The playmaker, once regarded as one of the most talented young players in Europe, did likewise against Portugal at Hampden Park on Tuesday.

“It’s amazing,” said Souttar after the 0-0 draw that ended Scotland’s run of four consecutive defeats.

“Obviously, we grew up together. Our parents are friends, and we played since we were tiny, at a boys club, at school – we went to school together.

“We have been through everything and now we are together in the national team. So, yeah, it’s amazing.”

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NEW England boss Thomas Tuchel could be set to throw a lifeline to two Three Lions outcasts. 

The incoming German manager will inherit one of the best squads in world football which boasts talent including Trent Alexander-Arnold, Jude Bellingham, Cole Palmer and Phil Foden.

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He will also link back up with skipper Harry Kane, who Tuchel signed for Bayern Munich.

But SunSport Online can reveal Tuchel might also be set to turn to a pair of stars who he is known to admire – Eric Dier and Raheem Sterling.

Tuchel signed former Tottenham defender Dier for Bayern and put him straight into the starting team.

Speaking about Dier, 30, when he was the Bavarians manager, Tuchel said: “I am very happy with him. He’s exceeded all expectations. He’s an extremely important piece of the puzzle.

“He’s organised, he’s vocal, we didn’t have that much. He helps the guy next to him, he’s a top character and a very good player. He’s being rewarded for his work at the moment.”

And Sterling was one of his favourite players when Tuchel was manager at Chelsea. 

The 29-year-old winger has since moved on to Arsenal but Tuchel remains a huge admirer of his talents. 

In fact, he was the first player signed by Tuchel after Todd Boehly became the Chelsea owner in 2022.

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Explaining why at the time he said: “He was the absolute number one for that position. I gave his name to Todd Boehly straight away.

“He’s horrible to play against, horrible! The main point is his intensity and the amount of repetition of intensity that he delivers. This is simply outstanding over the last years.

“He caused huge trouble when he played against us and once you dig in deeper into his data and not only statistics in his goal involvements, it’s outstanding.

“It’s exactly what we need to raise the level of our players. That’s why we are so sure and that’s why he was, for us, top of the list.”

Forgotten England stars could benefit from Tuchel appointment

WITH Thomas Tuchel in the frame to be the next England manager, a few forgotten stars might be hopeful of a return to the international set up.

The former Chelsea and Bayern Munich manager usually uses a 3-4-3 formation.

That could provide an opening for Mason Mount, who’s not been involved in the England set-up since the World Cup in 2022.

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The now Manchester United star enjoyed his most successful spell under Tuchel while the pair were at Stamford Bridge.

Tuchel could also offer lifelines to other previously capped players such as Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Eric Dier.

RLC has excelled since his move to AC Milan and with England struggling to find a partner for Rice, he could be the surprise answer.

Meanwhile, Dier played for Tuchel at Bayern Munich as part of a back-three last season.

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The defender did enough to convince the club to make his loan move permanent after he had fallen out of favour at Tottenham.

Click here to see the full England XI who could play under Tuchel.

Inside FA’s thrilling chase for Tuchel

THE FA’s path to securing Thomas Tuchel’s signature was not a straightforward one.

They tried to lure Pep Guardiola from Manchester City over the summer.

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They even made contact with Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti after deciding to target trophy-laden foreign gaffers.

The FA’s determination to go international was summed up by their decision NOT to interview Newcastle boss Eddie Howe.

Initial talks with Tuchel saw him express a slight interest in replacing Gareth Southgate.

But he was waiting to see what would happen at Manchester United, with Erik ten Hag’s future under the spotlight.

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Man Utd owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe eventually decided to stick with Ten Hag – and that opened the door to the FA getting their man.

Read the full story on England’s thrilling pursuit of Thomas Tuchel.