Thomas Tuchel voiced his discontent regarding the inconsistent refereeing at the World Cup, while expressing confidence in England’s ability to succeed following their exhilarating 3-2 victory over Mexico.
Following a challenging match at the Azteca Stadium, where his team had to compete with only ten players, Tuchel conveyed his frustration over the officiating standards throughout the tournament. He was particularly irked by the red card awarded to Jarell Quansah after a VAR review, highlighting the uncertainty players face regarding officiating during matches. He warned that inadequate refereeing could result in teams being unjustly eliminated.
“He [the referee] can send any team out in any moment. It’s just not good enough. It’s just erratic, it’s just unreliable in matches. Now we have two fourth officials who just scream at you if you put one foot out of a coaching zone. It’s just not good enough.” Tuchel stated. “We give everything and then decisions are overturned in a very questionable way. “But it’s not only about the big decisions, the little decisions, the consistency in the decisions. You’re just out there, it’s like almost on the open sea, in front of the court, you don’t know what’s going to happen. They’re just not on the level. “You play high level now. The so‑called underdogs, the so‑called little nations, like we played [DR] Congo, they play on the highest level. Cape Verde plays on the highest level. You need highest‑level refereeing. There are only athletes out there. The game has changed massively and it’s just not good enough. It’s just not good enough for the players, for the game.”
Tuchel’s frustration with the officiating was apparent from the outset against Mexico, particularly after Declan Rice received a yellow card for a foul just a minute into the match. Quansah’s upcoming suspension for the quarter-final against Norway in Miami follows his expulsion for a foul on Jesús Gallardo. Furthermore, Mexico’s second goal was the result of a penalty awarded following a VAR review of Harry Kane’s actions.
After a significant injury to Jordan Henderson, who will miss the rest of the tournament due to a broken wrist sustained during post-match celebrations, Tuchel was questioned about whether he would address the VAR implications with his players. “In real life there is a way of how the game flows and how you referee and some referees are like: ‘No, I don’t allow too much contact.’ Some say: ‘No, now it’s an emotional game, I let the contacts go.’ There are contacts. You cannot look at the still and go: ‘There was a leg in between.’ Come on. You don’t even give a foul and then you go to a red card. You don’t give a foul and then you go to penalty.” he replied. “It fuels our belief that we are here to stay,”
“But it’s not only about the big decisions, the little decisions, the consistency in the decisions. You’re just out there, it’s like almost on the open sea, in front of the court, you don’t know what’s going to happen. They’re just not on the level.
“We are in a part of a tournament, round of 32, round of 16, where you just need to find a way to stay in the tournament, you need to find a way to win. Then, from the quarter-final, it’s eight teams and everyone can win it. “We will stay with the motto, step by step, and game by game. But of course, matches like this, you can only win them with belief, and it will just fuel our belief.”
“Do you really think that Harry in this moment thinks ‘Oh, VAR!’? He just goes to the ball and there’s a contact, it’s contact sport. We cannot look at stills and think: ‘Oh, contact, penalty.’”
“In real life there is a way of how the game flows and how you referee and some referees are like: ‘No, I don’t allow too much contact.’ Some say: ‘No, now it’s an emotional game, I let the contacts go.’ There are contacts. You cannot look at the still and go: ‘There was a leg in between.’ Come on. You don’t even give a foul and then you go to a red card. You don’t give a foul and then you go to penalty.”
Despite the challenges, Tuchel remains optimistic about England’s chances of progressing, particularly after overcoming Mexico’s formidable record at the Azteca. “It fuels our belief that we are here to stay,” he remarked. “We are in a part of a tournament, round of 32, round of 16, where you just need to find a way to stay in the tournament, you need to find a way to win. Then, from the quarter-final, it’s eight teams and everyone can win it.
“We will stay with the motto, step by step, and game by game. But of course, matches like this, you can only win them with belief, and it will just fuel our belief.”
One unfortunate incident for England was Henderson’s injury, which occurred when he lost his footing while attempting to leap over an advertising hoarding. The Brentford midfielder spent the night in the hospital with a member of the medical team and is scheduled for surgery, sidelining him for the remainder of the World Cup.
Currently, England is deliberating whether to appeal Jarell Quansah’s red card. The right-back was dismissed following a VAR review for his challenge on Jesús Gallardo and is expected to miss the quarter-final against Norway. Nevertheless, the Football Association may be able to build a case for an appeal by referring to FIFA’s recent decision to lift USMNT striker Folarin Balogun’s one-game suspension after his sending off against Bosnia and Herzegovina. France has already sought to overturn Michael Olise’s yellow card received against Paraguay.
