England manager Thomas Tuchel has dismissed the suggestion that there is a rift between him and midfielder Jude Bellingham.
He made this clear as England prepare to take on defending World Champions Argentina on Wednesday, July 15 in the 2026 FIFA World Cup semifinals.
Tuchel criticised Bellingham’s attitude last year and after the Three Lions beat Mexico 3-2 in the round of 16, the German trainer said he wasn’t happy with the team’s performance despite calling Bellingham a “world class player”.
Bellingham, who scored twice in the win over Mexico, responded, “Yeah, well, whatever” to Tuchel’s comments in a post-game presser leading to many to believe that there is tension between the two.
“I’m a football coach and I try to demand the very best and not settle for lower standards. I was in a mixed feeling. I have it completely out of my system. We framed it. We debriefed it as a group and we’re all focused now. Full steam ahead.”
“He scored two goals and was exhausted because he gave everything. Then the interviewer asked him the question. What do you expect from a player in this minute after the game?”
“There’s no issue. We’re competing for the same goal. We are both still hungry as everyone is” Tuchel said.
