Croatia legend Davor Suker has launched a scathing attack on England boss Thomas Tuchel, branding his comments about the upcoming third-place play-off as 'nonsense'. Suker, who inspired Croatia to third place in 1998 and won the Golden Boot, took issue with Tuchel's suggestion that neither England nor France want to play the match.
Speaking ahead of Saturday's clash in Miami, Tuchel had stated: 'None of our players and none of the French players want to play this match. They want to play the final.' But Suker dismissed those remarks, insisting that winning bronze is a source of lasting pride. 'I think the rich don't want to play when they lose,' he said. 'After 1998, when we played the Netherlands for third place, we fought for that bronze medal, and today I can still speak about it with pride.'
Suker urged Tuchel to show respect for all 211 FIFA member nations, adding: 'My message to them is: be quiet, respect all 211 participants, and understand that the world doesn't belong only to them. It belongs to the middle-sized nations, the smaller ones, and to everyone who loves football. Whoever wins third place tomorrow, I assure you that in 20 years, when they're older, they'll still remember that bronze medal. That's why, in this whole story, coach Tuchel doesn't matter. He's talking nonsense.'
England's appearance in the third-place play-off follows a heartbreaking semi-final defeat to Argentina, where they squandered a 1-0 lead with 10 minutes remaining. Tuchel has faced heavy criticism for his team's defensive collapse, with tactics coming under the microscope as the Three Lions failed to reach the final.
The German head coach now faces intense scrutiny over his future in the role, with Saturday's match against France seen as a chance to salvage some pride after a disappointing end to their World Cup campaign.
