News, goals, and analysis – only on the official A BOLA app. World Cup Thomas Tuchel responded to Donald Trump’s surprising criticism following England’s disastrous elimination from the World Cup, defending his tactical choices. England was knocked out of the tournament after a turnaround in the last seven minutes of the semi-final, with Argentina scoring two goals to seal the victory. Tuchel’s defensive approach in Atlanta has come under intense scrutiny, especially the decision to pull the team back after scoring. The criticism intensified with the statistic that Harry Kane did not make a single touch in the opponent’s area and the substitution of goal scorer Anthony Gordon for defender Ezri Konsa in the 72nd minute. Even U.S. President Donald Trump criticized the ‘defensive’ use of the English captain in the second half. Confronted with the president’s remark, Tuchel retorted: ‘Are you using Donald Trump as a witness for the case? We defend in a low block. That’s what you do when defending in a block. We defend with ten and eleven. And if we are pushed into a low block, everyone defends in a low block.’ In the lead-up to the third-place match against France on Saturday, the English manager took responsibility for the painful defeat but refused to engage in a ‘blame game’: ‘I take responsibility. If it’s easier, if someone has to take the blame, I’ll take it. It’s not a problem,’ Tuchel stated. ‘But I won’t get into that kind of game. Because, for me, there’s no one to blame. It’s our pain, my pain, and the players’ pain. We feel the greatest pain of all, and it’s our scar that we carry now.’ With a contract until after Euro 2028, Tuchel, 52, intends to fulfill it and has shown himself to be unwavering regarding his continuity, even if public opinion turns completely against him. ‘I can never change my opinion on whether I would like to continue,’ he declared.
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