Jude Bellingham was unhappy after being sent off by England manager Thomas Tuchel during the World Cup qualifier against Albania.
England head coach Thomas Tuchel says he will review Jude Bellingham’s angry reaction to being substituted during the Three Lions’ 2-0 win over Albania. The Real Madrid star was sent off for Morgan Rodgers with just six minutes remaining in the final World Cup qualifier.
The former Chelsea manager used the midfielder’s reaction to explain that most professional footballers don’t like being sent off. But he says he doesn’t want to make the case “bigger than it is.”
There was also suspicion that Bellingham had not celebrated with his England team-mates after Kane doubled their lead in Tirana. However, Sky Sports admitted that after paying tribute to Marcus Rashford, the Three Lions captain congratulated him but raised his arms high as he turned around to see his number up.
read more: England vs. Albania player ratings, Three Lions heading into World Cup with perfect recordread more: England three-star quickly proves Thomas Tuchel wrong over Albania win
It’s the latest flashpoint in a lively storyline between England’s superstar and head coach in the run-up to the World Cup. The 22-year-old made a 25-minute cameo in Thursday’s game against Serbia, helping Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka and Ebere Eze qualify for this summer’s World Cup.
Unlike his match at Wembley, Bellingham was given a place in the team from the off, playing for almost 90 minutes. But he became a victim in the closing stages, minutes after being booked for an excessive challenge on Armando Broja.
“Oh, he didn’t like it, but nobody likes it,” said the German. “But it is what it is. Morgan (Rogers) didn’t want to be out, he didn’t deserve to be out, but that was the decision. Jude also had a yellow card, but before the second goal I made the decision and it stood.”
“I didn’t see it that way. It needs to be looked at. I could tell he wasn’t happy. I don’t want to make the problem any bigger than it is at this point.”
“When you have a guy like Jude who is so competitive, you don’t like him to a certain extent.
“My words are correct, we value standards, levels, commitment to each other and respect for each other.
“We’re not going to change our decision just because someone waves their arm.”
Harry Kane added to the Three Lions’ tally with two goals in the second half, finishing qualification with a perfect record. They won their eighth game of the season and continued their good run with no goals conceded until qualifying.
But that victory threatens to be overshadowed by the latest incident involving Bellingham and Tuchel, just days after the manager revealed his players would be “angry” if they were not selected.
“You can be mad at the manager, you can be mad at the situation, but if you look at the countries that won and the clubs that won the Champions League, the benches are up,” he said.
“For the last eight to 10 minutes, there wasn’t anybody sitting there thinking, ‘I should be on the field, I should be on the field, why am I not there?’ They’re just there. We experienced this once in a great game against Chelsea, it was non-stop, everyone was pushing off the bench and fighting, even if they weren’t selected, and we were all ready.
“This will make the difference in the end and I strongly, strongly believe that we should arrive with such a team. Even if they are disappointed, it is completely normal. They will never be happy and they do not need to be happy. Nobody is used to sitting on the bench. This is the nature of a strong national team.”
Tuchel has already been forced to apologize to Bellingham since officially taking over in January. German fell on both sides, explaining that his mother found the anger shown by England “disgusting”. However, he explained that he used the word unintentionally.
“I used that word unintentionally, but just to make it clear,” he explained.
“There was no message, no hidden agenda.
“I fully understand and understand that it was my responsibility to create these headlines. I’m sorry for any upset I caused and I’m also sorry for the headlines I created.”
“I should have known better and I should have done better because I have so much experience. I thought the fact that I was doing this much in a second language would give you (the media) a little more credibility.”
“The morning after I lost, I was sleep-deprived and spoke in a live interview and used the wrong words. Again, it’s my fault.”
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