Thomas Tuchel has criticised Jude Bellingham's frustrated reaction to being substituted during England's 2-0 victory over Albania, insisting that 'behaviour is key'. The England head coach made his displeasure clear after the midfielder threw his arms in the air when replaced by Morgan Rogers in the 84th minute at the Air Albania Stadium.
Bellingham, who had a mixed game after returning to the starting lineup, initially joined in the celebrations following Harry Kane's second goal but then reacted angrily. Tuchel said: 'He has to accept the decision. His friend is waiting on the sidelines so you need to accept it, respect it and keep on going. I have to review it. I saw he was not happy.'
The German coach emphasised the importance of collective commitment, noting that Rogers himself was disappointed not to start. 'To a certain degree if you have players like Jude who are so competitive they will never like it but my word stands, it is about standards and a commitment and respect to each other,' Tuchel added.
Despite the incident, Tuchel was pleased with England's perfect qualifying campaign, making it eight wins from eight without conceding a goal in Group K. He reserved special praise for Harry Kane, whose late double took his international tally to 78 goals, surpassing Pelé's record of 77.
'The investment of Harry in these matches is just outstanding,' Tuchel said. 'He is so invested in everything that we do. He's in a mindset and a physical condition that is absolutely at the highest level.'
