Thomas Tuchel speaks out on relationship with Jude Bellingham after England star's response to 'unfair question' in wake of World Cup quarter-final victory

The relationship between the German coach and his talismanic midfielder has been under intense scrutiny since Tuchel's mother previously described some of Bellingham’s on-field antics as "repulsive" last summer. While an apology followed, the tension resurfaced after England’s 2-1 extra-time quarter-final win against Norway. Despite the result, Tuchel admitted he was "not happy with the team performance," prompting Bellingham to hit back by calling for more positivity.

The head coach revealed he held a meeting with the squad the following day to clear the air, ensuring there are no lingering issues ahead of their semi-final clash against Argentina. "I wonder who blows these things up, eh? So, there is nothing to blow up and if it's blown up, it's blown up in the media, of course," Tuchel told talkSPORT.

Tuchel was quick to defend Bellingham’s reaction, noting the physical and emotional toll of a 120-minute knockout match. "What do you expect of a player that just played 120 minutes and gave literally everything if you shorten the comment of his coach, if you don't tell him that 'he was world class,' if you don't tell him that 'he has world class actions,'" Tuchel explained.

"If you just cut all this and tell him 'oh, your coach said you were sloppy' what do you expect? Yeah, of course you get the comment that you get and then you try to blow it up and people try to create misunderstandings and cracks where no cracks are. We come from the same place. We come from being competitive and I am a competitive coach. I push this team to the limit and that was my assessment.

"I think the question was unfair in this moment towards Jude because he cut all the compliments out of my assessment and just asked about the critical points, so I can understand. What do you expect of a player that just gave everything and stands there in front of a microphone in a flash interview?"

In his post-match comments, Bellingham appeared to take a swipe at Tuchel's modest playing background, stating: "Maybe he doesn't know what it's like to play in those kind of conditions" or against a player of Erling Haaland's calibre. Tuchel dismissed the idea that a lack of elite playing experience hinders his coaching authority. He remains confident that his bond with the 23-year-old remains intact despite the exchange.

"It's just what it is but we're as close as ever, and close more than ever before," Tuchel added. "You can see that on the field. The energy and mentality in camp is excellent in the last days and we are ready to go for it tomorrow."

Reflecting on his path to the England dugout, Tuchel admitted he still carries the humility of someone who never expected to reach these heights. "I would still like to have a player's career, that was my dream," the former Chelsea boss said. "I never thought about being a coach, never dreamt about being a coach on that kind of level, so I think this is basically the dream. I just feel also on the sideline very humbled, and from time to time it just strikes me on the sideline right before the match 'I couldn't play here on this occasion.'"

However, he was quick to point out that tactical acumen is not dependent on one's history on the pitch. "I don't think that you have to play [to be a coach]. A funny quote, you don't have to be a horse to be a good jockey!" he joked.