Thomas Tuchel launched a scathing attack on World Cup officiating following England’s dramatic 3-2 victory over Mexico, describing the standard of refereeing as “erratic” and “not good enough” after his side progressed to the quarter-finals despite finishing with ten men.
The England manager was incensed by several decisions during Sunday night’s last-16 tie at the Azteca stadium, particularly the dismissal of defender Jarell Quansah following a VAR review for a tackle on Jesús Gallardo. The centre-back will now miss Saturday’s quarter-final against Norway in Miami.
Refereeing Under Fire
Tuchel’s frustration began early when Declan Rice received a yellow card from Iranian referee Alireza Faghani within the opening minute. The German argued that inconsistency has plagued the tournament, leaving players uncertain about what constitutes a foul.
“It’s not good enough,” Tuchel said. “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.”
The manager also questioned the penalty awarded to Mexico after another VAR review, this time for a foul by Harry Kane. “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,” Tuchel explained. “We cannot look at stills and think: ‘Oh, contact, penalty.'”
He warned that inconsistent decisions could eliminate teams unfairly, noting that so-called underdogs such as DR Congo and Cape Verde have demonstrated high-level performances that demand equally high-level officiating.
Henderson Ruled Out
England’s triumph was tempered by the loss of midfielder Jordan Henderson for the remainder of the tournament. The Brentford player sustained a broken wrist during post-match celebrations after slipping while vaulting an advertising hoarding.
Henderson remained in hospital overnight with medical staff and requires surgery, ending his World Cup campaign.
Belief Growing
Despite the setbacks, Tuchel expressed confidence that his squad can challenge for the title. “It fuels our belief that we are here to stay,” he said. “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… Then, from the quarter-final, it’s eight teams and everyone can win it.”
England will face Norway in Miami on Saturday for a place in the semi-finals, though they will be without the suspended Quansah and the injured Henderson.