Following the controversial post-match comments made by Thomas Tuchel after the quarterfinal against Norway, the German manager said that he met with the England squad on Sunday night to clear the air.
England’s victory against Norway sparked a media frenzy centred on Tuchel’s critical post-match remarks. The manager labelled his team’s performance as “sloppy,” pointing out “a lot of technical mistakes” and claiming they were not “fast enough”. Shortly after, Jude Bellingham, the scorer of the match-winning brace, voiced his disagreement during an interview, countering, “Maybe he doesn’t know what it’s like to play in those conditions.”
Speaking to the media before the semifinal against holders Argentina, Tuchel clarified that he had “no problem” with the midfielder’s comments. “I think we come from the same place,” the Champions League-winning manager said. “Our comments come from the same place, from being competitive and having the edge when competition is on.”
While criticising certain elements of Saturday’s performance, Tuchel also praised the squad’s effort and mentality, aiming to reinforce a positive message and re-focus their minds on the match. He clarified, “I spoke to the whole team after in the dressing room, which was basically the same message.”
Tuchel acknowledged the immense pressure Bellingham and the rest of the squad faced after enduring 120 minutes in the intense Miami heat, only to hear their manager criticise their performance as sloppy. Discussing how Bellingham was questioned about those comments, Tuchel explained, “of course, I would maybe also bite back when I come from 120 minutes, scored two goals, gave literally everything that is in my body. It’s just a very normal thing, a very normal reaction for a player of his mindset.”
He further emphasised, “(Bellingham) was just confronted with the negative side, often with a critique of my side. I called him a world-class player, I said he had world-class actions again to decide the match. I said the mentality is outstanding of this team. All of that was not part of the question. I get it.”
Tuchel went on to praise Argentina’s performances this tournament, particularly applauding their resilience. “They’re almost the same group as four years ago. You can see the cohesion, you can see the sacrifice that they put into it. They don’t panic when they’re behind. They believe in their style. And their style is a very emotional style. It was in Qatar and it is now.”
If England beat Argentina, they would reach the World Cup final for the second time in their history. Their last and only appearance in the final was in 1966, which they went on to win, winning 4-2 against West Germany after extra-time.