Clement Turpin has been appointed by FIFA to referee the World Cup quarter-final between England and Norway in Miami. The French official has a contentious history with England manager Thomas Tuchel, who once branded him 'absolutely terrible' after a Champions League match in 2023.
Tuchel's Past Outburst at Turpin
In a 2023 Champions League quarter-final between Bayern Munich and Manchester City, Turpin sent off a furious Tuchel. The German, then in charge of Bayern, received an initial yellow card for sarcastically applauding Turpin and was later dismissed for further dissent. After the match, Tuchel said: 'The referee, unfortunately, was Grade E. I'd give him a one out of 10. He was absolutely terrible. It's unbelievable at this level.'
Tuchel added: 'He was whistling for everything and anything. Everything was against us. In the end, we were never in a position to turn things around with three men against us. That's a fact.'
Turpin's Experience and England Record
Turpin, regarded as one of the most well-known referees, officiated in Ligue 1 at age 26 and took charge of European matches two years later. He refereed the 2021 Europa League final and the 2022 Champions League final between Liverpool and Real Madrid. He also sent Diego Simeone to the stands in a 2018 Europa League semi-final between Arsenal and Atletico Madrid.
Turpin has refereed seven England matches in his career, including a 5-0 win away to Serbia in September 2024 and a 0-0 draw with Slovenia at Euro 2024. He also officiated England's opening group game against Croatia in this World Cup, ordering a retake of Harry Kane's saved penalty due to goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic coming off his line early.
England's Quarter-Final Challenge
England reached the quarter-finals after a 3-2 win over Mexico, playing most of the second half with 10 men after Jarell Quansah's red card. Quansah is suspended for the next two games, leaving Tuchel short at right-back. Marc Guehi and Declan Rice are dealing with injury and illness respectively. Norway, led by Erling Haaland, beat Brazil 2-1 to reach the quarter-finals for the first time. Haaland has called England 'clear favourites'. If England win, they could face Argentina in the semi-finals; a loss would mean a second consecutive World Cup quarter-final exit.
