Miami, July 14 (IANS) After Jude Bellingham questioned Thomas Tuchel’s assessment of their performance against Norway, England captain Harry Kane clarified that the squad are “completely together” before their World Cup semi-final against Argentina.
After England beat Norway 2-1 in the quarterfinal, Thomas Tuchel wasn’t happy about the team’s match performance and said the Three Lions were “sloppy, lucky” and not good enough in “every sense”.
Bellingham seemed a little annoyed by what Tuchel said about the team’s performance and said “Yeah, well, whatever. It’s difficult out there – it’s a tough shift.”
Bellingham and Tuchel have had a testing relationship since the German took charge of the England national team last year. However, Kane has cleared the air and said England camp is far from divided.
“When you are playing a game like that and to be asked a question five minutes after the final whistle, and he didn’t really know what had been said, what do you want Jude [Bellingham] to say?” Kane told BBC. “We had just been through a battle. It is easy to try and create this division – it seems like an English thing to do at these major tournaments.
“But it is the complete opposite. The group is where we are because of our complete togetherness – not just the players, the coach and the staff. Things sometimes get made out to be more than they are.”
“He (Tuchel) wears his heart on his sleeve and people appreciate that. When he talks, it is never scripted. That is what makes him who he is. When it just comes natural you believe in that, you believe in what he is saying, you believe in his approach. He is one of the best managers in the world for a reason. We understand it. Over the past two years we have got to know him and know what makes him happy.”
Last year, several media reports claimed a rift between Tuchel and Bellingham in 2025 when Tuchel described Bellingham’s behaviour as “repulsive” when the midfielder was visibly unhappy to being substituted in a match against Albania.
But the pair cleared the air in a meeting earlier this year.
—IANS
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