Thomas Tuchel Called England vs Croatia Referee ‘Terrible’

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His passion for sports extends further than football, as he has covered several sports for GMS, including Boxing, Tennis, and Wrestling. Sign in to your GiveMeSport account England open their 2026 World Cup campaign with a clash against Croatia at Dallas Stadium on Wednesday, but Thomas Tuchel won't be happy to see who the referee is for the 2018 semi-final repeat.

The Three Lions will face Croatia, Ghana and Panama in Group L as they look to end a 60-year drought when it comes to major silverware. If they are to do so and lift the World Cup, they'd be making history in the process.

No World Cup-winning manager has been foreign to the nation they managed to glory. Tuchel, as a German managing England, would be the first-ever case if he brings football home.

The German tactician has already had a furious run-in with the appointed referee for the World Cup encounter on Wednesday night. French official Clement Turpin even sent the England boss off in a match while he was at Bayern Munich.

During a 2023 Champions League quarter-final loss against Manchester City, Tuchel was livid with the officiating and was sent to the stands after picking up two yellow cards. He then went on a rant about Turpin, who had booked five players in the first half and sent off Bayern's Dayot Upamecano - a decision that VAR overturned.

The former Chelsea and Borussia Dortmund manager made his feelings about the referee very clear after the game, labelling the 44-year-old 'terrible'. He even gave him a '1/10' rating, as he fumed (per The Sun):

"I’d give him a 1/10. He was absolutely terrible. It’s unbelievable at this level. He was whistling for everything and anything. Everything was against us.

"In the end, we were never in a position to turn things around with three men against us. That’s a fact."

Turpin, voted the world's best referee in 2025, has been in the middle for six England matches in the past. The most notable being a humiliating 4-0 Nations League defeat by Hungary.

He was also the referee in the Three Lions' goalless draw with Slovenia at Euro 2024. He was there for the 5-0 win against Serbia in late 2025, meaning he's already encountered Tuchel since their heated meeting in 2023. England won the other three matches Turpin officiated comfortably.

Key information has emerged ahead of the Three Lions’ World Cup opener.

Should there be a controversial incident against Croatia, it may be worth keeping an eye on Tuchel's reaction. Turpin is generally seen as one of the best referees around, but clearly has history with the England manager.

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