Former England goalkeeper Joe Hart has told Thomas Tuchel that he 'got it wrong' by publicly attacking the referee's performance after England's 3-2 victory over Mexico. Tuchel was furious with the officiating, but Hart believes the German coach misdirected his energy following a heroic team display.
Tuchel's Frustration Boils Over
England triumphed in hostile territory at the Azteca, playing 45 minutes with 10 men after Jarell Quansah was sent off. Harry Kane also conceded a penalty for kicking Brian Gutierrez in the box, both decisions upheld by VAR. Tuchel raged: 'It's just not good enough. The referees are just not good enough, fourth officials are just not good enough.' He questioned the VAR process, noting three South American officials in the match and claiming the penalty overturn was not a clear and obvious error.
Hart's Rebuttal
Joe Hart, capped 75 times for England, disagreed with Tuchel's stance. 'I think he has got that wrong,' Hart said. 'I don't know why he has gone so hard on that after such an impressive performance. I get it, against all the odds the red card and the penalties, but I don't think they were borderline decisions. I thought they were decent decisions in the end.'
Balogun Controversy Adds Fuel
Tuchel also expressed confusion over the decision to suspend US star Folarin Balogun's one-match ban for a year, allowing him to play against Belgium. US President Donald Trump reportedly called FIFA chief Gianni Infantino to appeal, though Infantino denied influence. Tuchel asked: 'Who overturns this decision then and when? And on what grounds? How far does this go now? This is strange for me. Where does this start and where does this end?'
