Gary Lineker has joked that Thomas Tuchel is a "German spy" after England crashed out of the World Cup on Wednesday evening against Argentina. The Three Lions' dreams of ending 60 years of hurt were shattered in Atlanta as Argentina came from one goal behind to send Tuchel's side packing.
Lineker's Spy Joke and Criticism
Speaking on The Rest is Football on Netflix, the former England striker joked: “I just wonder whether Thomas Tuchel’s like a German spy, we’ve been infiltrated, I think Germany, because they’re not very good at the moment, they can’t get past the group stage, and I think they’ve sent in someone. I mean, I’m joking, I’m joking obviously, but he said after the Croatia game, he said, ‘if we lose, we’ll lose our way by playing aggressive, attacking football’, he went totally against that, didn’t he?”
Lineker added: “I think the most frustrating thing as well was this team, they had a chance if they’d gone for it, and they just got it I think so wrong. And is he the right man to take us forward? Well, I mean, I never ask for anyone to get sacked, I don’t think it’s the thing to do, but it depends on him and how he feels, and also how the FA feels.”
Vieira Defends Tuchel
Former Arsenal and France midfielder Patrick Vieira, a guest on the show, interjected and told Lineker: “You would be mad for me, to sack him or to change the coach.”
England took the lead early in the second half through Anthony Gordon but paid for Tuchel's negative approach afterwards as Enzo Fernandez struck in the 85th minute, before Lautaro Martinez's stoppage-time winner. The ex-Chelsea manager brought on defenders Ezri Konsa, Nico O'Reilly and Dan Burn, but they could not stop Lionel Messi setting up both goals from the right wing.
Lineker's Tactical Frustration
Lineker said: "I found it absolutely unfathomable that, if your tactic is to sit everyone deep, you do that against the greatest player ever to play football. I think he’s just cementing that game after game after game. Most goals in the World Cup, most assists in the World Cup. And he moves to the right, and you play a back five, and you still don’t go and get tight to him. Just put someone on him. He had so much space. He just whipped ball after ball after ball into the box."
Lineker's BBC Salary and Departure
Lineker was revealed to have been paid between £325,000 and £329,999 by the BBC for the year to March 2026 in its latest Annual Report, placing him 15th in the list of the corporation’s highest earners for that period, having left the BBC in May last year. He had a salary of between £1,350,000 and £1,354,999 in the last annual report. Lineker’s departure came after a row following an Instagram post he made about Zionism, which featured a depiction of a rat, historically an antisemitic insult. The sports broadcaster apologised for the post, adding that he did not see the rat visual and that he did not think “anyone actually believes I would’ve posted that”.
The FA and Thomas Tuchel have been contacted for comment.
