Clement Turpin, the referee for England's World Cup clash with Croatia on Wednesday night, has been slammed by Thomas Tuchel in the past. The 44-year-old is a vastly experienced official, taking charge of Ligue 1 games in his native France since 2008. The Frenchman became a FIFA referee in 2010 and this summer will be his third World Cup, having officiated matches in Russia and Qatar. England fans may have forgotten the drab goalless draw with Slovenia at Euro 2024, but Turpin was in charge of that match.
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The peak of his career in club football so far has been taking charge of the 2022 Champions League final as Real Madrid edged Liverpool 1-0. He is a respected referee, but Tuchel did not show him much respect in April 2023 after his Bayern Munich side faced Manchester City in the Champions League. Turpin was in charge of the second leg of the quarter-final which finished 1-1, giving City a 4-1 win on aggregate. Tuchel was shown two yellow cards by Turpin during the match in Munich and was furious with him after the game.
'Two things couldn't keep up with the level — the pitch wasn't in good condition and also the referee, unfortunately, was Grade E,' Tuchel said. 'I'd give him a one out of 10. He was absolutely terrible. It's unbelievable at this level. He was whistling for everything and anything. Everything was against us.'
Tuchel has not exactly rowed back on the criticism of that performance, but says he holds Turpin in the highest regard ahead of England's opener in Dallas. 'He's a top referee, and he was not happy with my behaviour in the match, so he gave me a red card, and I was not happy with his performance in the match,' Tuchel said. 'It's always better to not speak about the referee as a coach. It's maybe not always possible because it brings out emotion, and it was an emotional night and very important match in Champions League. But if I get a red card, I don't hold it against the referee. We're fighting for the best outcome, we're competing in sports and I think it's the same for him. I truly believe that he's a top referee, which he proves on the highest level and he will show it tomorrow.'
