"Just do your job."
The British 'Mirror' reported on the 24th (Korean time) that "Thomas Tuchel, the head coach of the England national team, has confronted the coaches of the clubs to which the national team players belong. He declared that since no club helped England, he would similarly not consider the club teams."
Tuchel led England to a 2-0 victory in the first match against Albania in Group K of the 2026 FIFA North and Central America World Cup European qualifiers held on the 22nd, marking a bright debut. However, the atmosphere after the match was not entirely positive. He did not hide his dissatisfaction, directly mentioning the performances of Phil Foden and Marcus Rashford.
According to reports, Tuchel noted, "Foden and Rashford could not create decisive moments like they do at their clubs. There was a lack of dribbling, penetration, and movement targeting the space behind the line. There were even fewer actions to receive the ball," adding, "I don’t understand why the ball wasn’t delivered to them quicker and why the wide spaces were not utilized."
These remarks evoke memories of his approach toward Kim Min-jae during his time at Bayern Munich. At that time, after the Champions League loss to Real Madrid, Tuchel blamed Kim Min-jae, stating, "A central defender should not advance so freely. It's too greedy. There was no one to help Kim Min-jae in that situation."
This comment has sparked controversy among fans and experts. Despite the chaos of the entire defensive organization and tactical shortcomings, the coach's public criticism of individuals has been deemed 'excessive' by some. Subsequently, Tuchel was dismissed after the season, and under his successor Vincent Kompany, Kim Min-jae recovered his form and received praise.
Thus, Tuchel's 'public reprimand of players' has long been his style, but there are concerns that it may negatively impact the team's atmosphere and trust in the long run. Nevertheless, Tuchel has maintained this style with the England national team and has made it clear that he has high expectations for the wingers.
In response, there are mixed reactions from the UK. Former England international Paul Merson said, "Foden and Rashford will not have many opportunities. The next match (against Latvia) may be the last test for them," adding, "Tuchel is a coach who will boldly exclude a player if there's no reaction after giving them a chance."
Although Thomas Tuchel, who has led prestigious European teams like Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea, and Bayern Munich, emphasizes 'results' and 'principles', his excessive interview style has faced criticism. He has been labeled 'psychopath' for tearing up family photos of players he had conflicts with during his time at Borussia Dortmund.
Is this temperament still present? Tuchel has touched on the sensitive issue of conflicts between club teams and the national team. As the football schedule tightens, power struggles over player selections between national and club teams persist. Clubs, which pay player salaries, may understandably be reluctant to see players selected for the national team who are recovering from injuries.
Recently, there has also been some friction over player selections between the Korean national team and European clubs, as the number of players advancing to European leagues has increased. National team manager Hong Myung-bo criticized Bayern Munich for excessively using players despite Kim Min-jae's Achilles issues after he was injured.
In the Netherlands, complaints emerged regarding Hong Myung-bo after he selected Hwang In-beom right after his return from injury. Not only did he exclude Hwang In-beom from the roster for the Oman match to give him rest, but he also plans to limit his playtime against Jordan.
Regarding these issues, Tuchel proudly expressed his unchanged views. He stated in a press conference ahead of the second match against Latvia on the 25th, "We will definitely win. I will use all my starting players," emphasizing, "There’s no way to reserve players for the club schedule."
This targets clubs that requested rest for starting players against comparatively weaker Latvia. Tuchel argued, "For instance, Declan Rice played in Arsenal's 7-1 victory over PSV Eindhoven in the UCL first leg. Yet he also played in the second leg. This shows that the club coach does not care about the national team."
Tuchel stated, "Since they do not care about the national team, I don’t need to worry about them either," stressing, "I am simply fulfilling my duties as a national team coach. I do not tell my England national players that I will give them rest for their club schedule."
Ultimately, regarding the conflict between clubs and the national team, Tuchel drew a line, stating, "Of course, I feel responsible for the players, and I hope they can play healthily. I want to see the players returning to their clubs injury-free and playing."
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