England’s opening World Cup fixture against Croatia on Wednesday will be officiated by French referee Clement Turpin, a man their own head coach once brutally criticised.
Thomas Tuchel labelled Turpin a “Grade E” official following a fiery Champions League quarter-final second leg between Bayern Munich and Manchester City in April 2023.
Turpin sent Tuchel to the stands that night at the Allianz Arena after showing the then Bayern boss two yellow cards during the heated contest.
The match was a turbulent one for Turpin, who issued five yellow cards in the first half alone before a red card controversy took centre stage.
Bayern defender Dayot Upamecano was shown a straight red for a last-man challenge on Erling Haaland, though VAR ultimately reversed the decision after an offside call.
Bayern’s 4-1 aggregate defeat did nothing to calm Tuchel’s frustration, and he launched a scathing attack on the referee in his post-match comments.
Tuchel said: “Two things couldn’t keep up with the level – the pitch wasn’t in good condition and also the referee, unfortunately, was Grade E.”
He continued: “I’d give him a one out of 10. He was absolutely terrible. It’s unbelievable at this level. He was whistling for everything and anything. Everything was against us.”
Tuchel added: “In the end, we were never in a position to turn things around with three men against us. That’s a fact.”
England midfielder Jude Bellingham has also experienced Turpin’s firm officiating style at close quarters during his time at Real Madrid.
Bellingham was physically pushed away from the penalty spot by Turpin after attempting to distract Bayern’s Harry Kane during a penalty kick.
Despite these notable flashpoints, Turpin is widely regarded as one of Europe’s top officials and carries an impressive record at the highest level.
He took charge of both the 2021 Europa League final and the 2022 Champions League final, underlining his standing among elite European referees.
Turpin also featured prominently at Euro 2024, where he oversaw England’s goalless draw with Slovenia during the group stage of that tournament.
