England head coach Thomas Tuchel launched a fierce attack on World Cup officiating following his side’s dramatic last-16 victory over Mexico at the Azteca Stadium.
The Three Lions came through a thrilling and turbulent encounter that saw them reduced to 10 men and concede a disputed penalty in a game full of controversy.
Tuchel was direct in his assessment of the officials after the final whistle, leaving no room for ambiguity in his criticism of those tasked with controlling the match.
“It’s just not good enough,” Tuchel told BBC Sport. “The referees are just not good enough, fourth officials are just not good enough. That’s the bottom line.”
The England boss was particularly unhappy with the penalty decision awarded against his side, questioning whether the video assistant referee process had functioned as intended.
“Is this a clear and obvious error for the penalty? For sure not. They overturned a situation where he doesn’t even give a foul,” Tuchel added.
England had appeared to be in full control of the contest in the first half, with Jude Bellingham scoring two goals in as many minutes to give the Three Lions a 2-0 lead.
Mexico reduced the deficit before the break when Julian Quinones pulled one back, setting the stage for a chaotic and dramatic second half.
Jarell Quansah was sent off in the 54th minute after the video assistant referee intervened, with replays showing he had gone in on Jesus Gallardo with his studs raised.
Former 2010 World Cup final assistant referee Darren Cann, speaking on BBC One, backed the dismissal without hesitation and explained why the laws of the game left the referee with no alternative.
“Quansah does play the ball first but that doesn’t matter in the laws of the game,” Cann said. “He goes through and you can clearly see the studs on the shin. The referee has no choice but to show the red card. 100% a red card.”
England restored their two-goal cushion when Harry Kane converted a penalty, but Mexico hit back after referee Alireza Faghani reviewed an incident involving Kane and Brian Gutierrez at the monitor.
Faghani awarded Mexico a spot-kick, which Raul Jimenez converted, and Cann drew a comparison to an earlier incident in the tournament to explain the decision.
“Kane unfortunately does kick the Mexico player’s foot,” Cann said. “It is a little bit similar to the Modric kick which England got a penalty for in the first group game. Kane is unaware of the player coming in behind.”
Former England goalkeeper Joe Hart took a different view to Tuchel, believing referee Faghani had handled all three major decisions correctly throughout the contest.
“I think the referee has come to the right decision on all three,” Hart said on BBC One. “I felt every single one… as soon as I saw the replays, my heart was in my mouth.”
Hart was equally clear in his verdicts on the individual incidents, stating that Quansah’s dismissal and the penalty decisions were all justified by what the replays showed.
“Quansah deserved to go, Kane didn’t get the ball and Gordon got to the ball first,” Hart added, summarising each of the three flashpoints in brief but decisive terms.
England ultimately held on to progress to the quarter-finals despite the late drama, though the officiating debate looks certain to continue long after the final whistle at the Azteca.
