Thomas Tuchel has hit back at Donald Trump after the US President criticised his tactics in England's World Cup semi-final defeat to Argentina. Trump claimed Tuchel 'misused' captain Harry Kane by deploying him in a defensive role, but Tuchel dismissed the remarks as irrelevant.
Trump's criticism draws Tuchel's ire
Speaking at a White House press conference alongside FIFA president Gianni Infantino, Trump said: 'You have a great player in England, who I play golf with, you know that, right? And he is Harry, who has been fantastic. I think they perhaps made a mistake when they made him a defensive player – what do I know about soccer?' Trump's comments drew laughter, but Tuchel did not find them amusing.
When a reporter mentioned Trump's criticism in a press conference ahead of England's third-place playoff against France, Tuchel snapped back: 'Do you use Donald Trump as your witness for the case?!'
Tuchel defends his decisions
England led Argentina through Anthony Gordon's goal but Tuchel opted to substitute on multiple defenders to protect the lead, a tactic that backfired as Argentina scored two late goals to win. Despite widespread criticism from pundits, fans, and even his own players, Tuchel maintained he has no regrets.
'I view them in the same way that we got too passive,' Tuchel said. 'If you are asking if you regret my decision, if this is the question then no I don't regret my decisions because I felt that we became too passive. I felt that the momentum switches in the match and I tried to help my team. I tried to support, I took several decisions trusting my instinct, my intuition, my experience, trusting my competitiveness and I took the decisions to help my team to get the result. We didn't get the result so I take personal responsibility for these decisions but the decisions are made under stress, this is in-game live coaching. I would regret if I didn't try to help, if I didn't react, but I have no regrets over the decisions I made.'
England's World Cup campaign ends
England's World Cup dreams ended in heart-breaking fashion, conceding two late goals to the reigning champions. The Three Lions will now play France in the third-place playoff on Saturday night. Tuchel's tactical choices have been a major talking point, with Trump's comments adding to the controversy.
