Jude Bellingham isn’t buying his own manager’s criticism. Not one bit.
After England’s gritty 2-1 World Cup quarterfinal win over Norway in extra time, Thomas Tuchel called the performance disappointing. Bellingham, who scored both goals and earned his fourth man of the match award in six games, had a very different take.
“Maybe he doesn’t know what it’s like to play in those kind of conditions against Erling Haaland, Martin Odegaard, Antonio Nusa, Alexander Sorloth,” Bellingham said. “That’s not an easy team to play against.”
The Real Madrid star made it clear he thinks the team deserves praise, not criticism. He pointed to the brutal Miami heat and a loaded Norwegian side as context Tuchel might be overlooking.
“You’re not going to win every game, popping the ball and making a thousand passes. Sometimes you have to win dirty, and we’ve done that again tonight,” Bellingham said.
When a reporter asked if he agreed with Tuchel’s claim that England was lucky to advance, Bellingham’s answer was short: “No comment.”
Tuchel pushes back on the idea of a rift
Tuchel didn’t let the moment fester. He addressed Bellingham’s remarks head-on and insisted there’s no disconnect between him and the squad.
“Absolutely, no one disputes that. I am impressed with the shift that they put in,” Tuchel said, acknowledging the heat was brutal. “The effort, team spirit, the belief and to overcome adversity and to dig in and find ways to win is on the absolutely highest level. They cannot get enough praise for that.”
But the German coach didn’t back down from his initial assessment either. “I’m also a football coach and I think we can play better. In general, I think it was not a high-level game.”
He added: “My heart, there is no doubt, I am proud and happy and I feel so connected to this team because they just do whatever it takes to take the next step. No disconnect from me to my team, not one per cent.”
For what it’s worth, Bellingham is now tied with Harry Kane for the tournament lead with six goals. The 23-year-old has essentially dragged England through the knockout rounds on his back, scoring back-to-back braces.
“I’m a confident boy, but I don’t think you go to bed at night dreaming about games like that,” Bellingham said. “It’s nice to have an impact and to help my team. But my God, the effort of those lads in there.”
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