Thomas Tuchel maintains he retains the confidence of England supporters despite audible jeering when his name was announced before Saturday’s bronze medal match against France in Miami.
The German coach faced a hostile reception at Hard Rock Stadium, with travelling fans making their displeasure unmistakable following Wednesday’s semi-final heartbreak against Argentina.
Speaking after England’s remarkable 6-4 triumph, Tuchel addressed the pre-match atmosphere directly.
“I don’t think that I lost the trust,” he stated. “Whatever happened in these 45 minutes against Argentina when we came too passive, whatever happened, why it happened, we were close.”
Thomas Tuchel insisted he had to rebuild the trust with fans after England’s defeat to Argentina
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The 52-year-old acknowledged the need to rebuild relationships with supporters ahead of the Nations League campaign in seven to eight weeks.
England secured their finest World Cup result on foreign soil with the bronze medal victory, though the match itself proved an extraordinary spectacle.
The Three Lions stormed into a commanding 4-0 advantage by the interval following a devastating opening period, with Declan Rice and Ezri Konsa among the early scorers.
France, the two-time world champions, mounted a ferocious response after the break, reducing the deficit to a single goal by the 66th minute.
Kylian Mbappe netted twice to take his tournament tally to 10 goals, while Ousmane Dembele also found the net for Didier Deschamps’ side.
Bukayo Saka scored a hat-trick in England’s 6-4 win over France
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Bukayo Saka claimed a hat-trick, converting from the penalty spot to restore England’s two-goal cushion at 5-3.
Jude Bellingham sealed the victory deep into stoppage time, completing the frenetic 6-4 triumph.
Tuchel accepted full accountability for the tactical decisions that contributed to England’s semi-final defeat, when they were merely five minutes from reaching their first final since 1966.
“It’s my job to take decisions,” he explained. “My decisions, my interventions, my substitutions, my change of structure did not have the effect I wanted it to. I have to live with this.”
The manager described the experience as deeply painful, having acted with clear intentions that ultimately proved ineffective.
“I take the blame and the responsibility but I strongly believe we built more in this World Cup than we can lose in 30 minutes,” Tuchel added.
He acknowledged the emotional toll would remain with him, stating the scar from that collapse would endure.
Thomas Tuchel had blamed English football’s ‘DNA’ for the Three Lions’ World Cup defeat
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Tuchel confirmed his commitment to continuing as England manager, drawing energy from his players’ resilience in the bronze medal match.
“Yeah because to see a team fight like this gives you energy,” he told the BBC. “The tiredness will come after. We will still feel the pain tomorrow when it’s the final. This will take a while. Overall, it gives me more energy than it takes from me.”
Captain Harry Kane offered support for his manager, noting this was Tuchel’s first major international tournament and suggesting he would learn from the experience.
Attention now shifts to the Nations League, where England face Spain, before the European Championships in 2028.
England will co-host that tournament alongside Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland.
