Thomas Tuchel has offered a nuanced assessment of French referee Clement Turpin’s performance, acknowledging past frustrations while expressing confidence in his abilities. The current England national team manager revisited an incident from three years ago when Turpin cautioned five Bayern Munich players and sent Tuchel off during a Champions League match against Manchester City. Despite that episode, Tuchel praised Turpin as one of Europe’s top referees, noting his consistent presence in the Champions League and asserting that he rarely delivers poor performances.

Tuchel acknowledged the tendency for managers to blame officials when decisions do not go their way but advised England players to accept Turpin’s authority during their opening match against Croatia. He highlighted that players have already been penalized for dissent in the tournament, urging discipline to avoid unnecessary yellow cards in crucial fixtures.

The manager also made a light-hearted observation about Turpin’s striking resemblance to Arsenal teammate Leandro Trossard, joking that the two could be relatives. Turning to broader officiating standards, Tuchel praised the general quality of refereeing so far in the tournament. Besides an eventful opener featuring Mexico versus South Africa, which saw three red cards issued, he described the referees as facilitators of fluid gameplay.

Tuchel specifically welcomed recent changes aimed at speeding up the game, including a new five-second limit for throw-ins. He noted that players in the Premier League often took too long to restart play during the past season, and the rule adjustment is a positive development. However, he expressed reservations about the introduction of three-minute hydration breaks mandated by FIFA, arguing that they disrupt the flow of matches. Tuchel suggested limiting such pauses to one minute and believed that the intervals should be monitored individually, as not every game is played under extreme heat. He also pointed out that referees have no authority over these breaks, as they are a directive from FIFA.