‘No regrets’ – Tuchel hits back at criticism following World Cup exit

Thomas Tuchel has insisted he has no regrets after facing criticism following England’s elimination from the World Cup at the semi-final stage.

It has been felt that England were the architects of their own downfall in the defeat to Argentina. After taking the lead in the 55th minute, the Three Lions had just 12% of possession until Argentina successfully reversed the deficit in the 92nd minute.

In the aftermath, Tuchel has been subject to criticism for perceived negative substitutions, and the impact of those changes. The most bizarre source of which has undoubtedly been US President Donald Trump.

“Do you use Donald Trump as your witness for the case, or?,” the England boss responded when asked about the president’s comments.

“If you’re asking if I regret my decision, if this is the question, then no, I don’t regret my decisions. 

“Because I felt that we became too passive, I felt that the momentum switched in the match. And I tried to help my team, I tried to help, I tried to support.

“I took a decision, I took several decisions, trusting my instinct, my intuition, my experience, trusting my competitiveness, and I took the decision in order to help the team and get the result.

“We didn’t get the result, so I take, of course, the responsibility for these decisions. But the decisions are made under stress, the decisions are made in-game.

“I would regret if I didn’t help. I would regret if we didn’t react, but I have no regrets over the decision itself.”

Tuchel continued: “I take responsibility, listen, if it’s easier, if someone takes the blame, I take the blame. There’s no problem if this is the deal that you sign up for, I understand it.

“You have every right to do so, but I will not engage in this kind of game. Because for me there is no one to blame.

“If you need someone to blame, I take the responsibility, I’m the head coach.

“So I think there is in itself not a lot of room for drama. If drama is needed and if the blame game needs to be played, okay you can do that. But I have the right to not engage in it.”

The German coach added: “By the way, we have to live with this. It’s our pain, it’s our pain, my pain and the players’ pain, we feel the most pain of all, and it is our scar that we carry now. 

“It is a very painful defeat, and we have to live with this defeat, first and foremost.

“Not the critics, not the experts, not our family members who suffer as well with us and want only the best for us, but it’s basically us.”