German boss slams Real Madrid star’s ‘intimidating’ temper following shocking 3-1 defeat to Senegal as Three Lions suffer first EVER loss to African nation
Thomas Tuchel has launched an extraordinary attack on Jude Bellingham’s on-field behavior, claiming his own mother is “repulsed” by the England star’s antics following the Three Lions’ humiliating 3-1 defeat to Senegal.
The German manager didn’t hold back in his criticism of the Real Madrid midfielder after Bellingham lost his cool during Tuesday night’s shocking loss at the City Ground – England’s first ever defeat to an African nation.
Speaking to talkSPORT after the match, Tuchel delivered a stunning rebuke of his star player, despite acknowledging the 21-year-old’s undeniable quality on the pitch.
The defeat, which saw England booed off for the second time in four days, has set alarm bells ringing just one year before the World Cup in North America.
Bellingham’s Meltdown
The flashpoint came late in the contest when Bellingham thought he’d rescued a point for England with an 84th-minute equalizer, only for VAR to cruelly rule it out after Levi Colwill was judged to have handled the ball in the build-up.
The Real Madrid star’s frustration boiled over as he remonstrated with referee Stephanie Frappart, displaying the kind of temperament that has become an increasingly worrying pattern in his game.
Tuchel, who had praised Bellingham’s “fire” earlier in the season, now appears to have serious concerns about the midfielder’s inability to control his emotions when things don’t go his way.
‘Even Team-Mates Could Be Intimidated’
In a brutally honest assessment, Tuchel warned that Bellingham’s explosive temper could be damaging not just to himself but to the entire England setup.
I struggle to see that,” the German said when told some England fans believe the team would be better without Bellingham in the starting XI.
“We are on that, yes. He has the fire. I don’t want to dim this down. He should play with this kind of fire, that’s his strength.
“But the fire comes also with some attributes that can intimidate you, maybe even as a team-mate.
“You see sometimes the explosion towards referees and the anger in his game, so if he can channel this in the right way, and we can help him in this, then for sure he has the something that we need. And he has a certain edge that is hard to find.”
Pattern of Poor Behavior
Bellingham’s temper tantrums are nothing new. The England star has repeatedly lost his cool at Real Madrid, culminating in a red card against Barcelona in April’s Copa del Rey final.
He was dismissed for “approaching the referee aggressively” as Real’s hopes of silverware went up in smoke – a worrying pattern that has now followed him into the England setup.
Earlier this year, Tuchel had already warned Bellingham about his discipline, saying the midfielder needed to be “more economical” with his energy and “save some for the decisive moments.”
He also noted: “He loves to talk to the referee and the linesmen.”
England in Crisis
The defeat to Senegal has exposed alarming flaws in Tuchel’s England side, with the German admitting his team looked “frozen” for large periods of the match.
Harry Kane had given England the perfect start with a seventh-minute opener, but Ismaila Sarr equalized before Habib Diarra fired the visitors ahead in the 62nd minute. Cheikh Sabaly added a third in stoppage time to complete England’s humiliation.
“I’m not sure if we did not deserve a little bit more result-wise,” Tuchel said. “It felt a bit frozen, not active enough for a long time over the match.”
The result means Tuchel has now overseen England being booed off twice in four days, following Saturday’s dire 1-0 win over minnows Andorra in World Cup qualifying.
‘No Need to Panic’ – But Fans Aren’t Convinced
Despite the shocking performance and growing concerns about team discipline, Tuchel insisted there was “no need to panic” with the World Cup still a year away.
“We lost a test match so there is no need to panic. We have [played] three qualification games, we have nine points and not conceded. We will be competitive in September, and we will go for two more victories — 100% we will,” he claimed.
But with England’s honeymoon period under their new German boss well and truly over, questions are already being asked about whether Tuchel can harness the undoubted talent at his disposal – or whether temperamental stars like Bellingham will derail their World Cup dreams.
The manager’s extraordinary criticism of his star player – invoking his own mother’s disgust – suggests deeper problems within the England camp that won’t be easily resolved.
With expectations sky-high following Gareth Southgate’s successful tenure, Tuchel faces a battle to get his prima donnas pulling in the same direction before it’s too late.
Image credit:
Thomas Tuchel in Chelsea attire by fc‑zenit.ru, via Wikimedia Commons (file: Thomas Tuchel Chelsea.jpg), CC BY‑SA 3.0
