Tuchel criticizes Bellingham's behavior after England's loss to Senegal

Both criticism and praise are intense. Thomas Tuchel, the England national team coach, made a blunt statement regarding Jude Bellingham (22, Real Madrid).

'Sports Illustrated' reported on the 12th (Korean time) that "Tuchel acknowledged Bellingham's mistake with shocking words. He believes Bellingham should be better at expressing his feelings under pressure."

England lost 1-3 to Senegal in a friendly match held at the City Ground in Nottingham, England, on the 11th. This marked the first defeat for England against an African nation in history, igniting criticism of Coach Tuchel.

After the match, controversy arose over Bellingham's attitude. He expressed his dissatisfaction by displaying anger. He scored an equalizer in the 40th minute of the second half, but it was canceled after video review due to a handball by a teammate. However, Bellingham burst with frustration and protested to the referee, prompting captain Harry Kane to intervene urgently.

It did not end there. England collapsed, allowing a late goal in the final moments. Ultimately, Bellingham left the field while kicking water bottles and an icebox on the bench, venting his anger.

With such a disastrous match result, Bellingham's actions did not appear favorable. There were voices of criticism in England as well, and Coach Tuchel joined the chorus.

Tuchel noted, "I don't want to extinguish Bellingham's fiery demeanor. He should play with this kind of fire. That's his emotion," but added, "However, such sparks can also be a threat to teammates. Sometimes we can see explosive reactions toward referees and displays of anger during the match."

He continued, "Of course, if we make good use of this trait, it can be the 'edge' our team needs. Bellingham is a good boy, very open-minded, and very intelligent. I don't think England would be better off without him. It's the opposite," he praised.

Nevertheless, he also offered sharp criticism. Coach Tuchel asked, "How can we have the best Bellingham? His attitude can bring complex emotions. Even my mother sometimes doesn't see Bellingham's polite demeanor and excellent behavior. I can, though. Sometimes the anger, longing, and fire inside Bellingham come out in a somewhat repulsive way, especially when my mother is watching on TV."

Of course, Coach Tuchel expressed that he is really happy to have Bellingham, calling him a "special player." However, there were also suggestions that describing it as "repulsive" was somewhat excessive.

In fact, Coach Tuchel has been criticized for his overly blunt manner of speaking previously. In 2023, during his time at Bayern Munich, he stirred controversy by publicly targeting Kim Min-jae during a press conference.

At that time, when Kim Min-jae made a mistake leading to a goal during a UEFA Champions League semifinal against Real Madrid, Coach Tuchel said, "Kim Min-jae was overly greedy in two situations. He moved too early on the first goal and missed the pass from Toni Kroos. He was overly aggressive," belittling him. This led to criticism among Bayern fans, suggesting he crossed a line.

However, the Football Association of England is not expected to raise an issue regarding Coach Tuchel's recent remarks. The British 'BBC' explained, "The Football Association is not worried about Tuchel's interview. They believe he was expressing how special Bellingham is."

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