Former England goalkeeper Joe Hart has told Thomas Tuchel that he 'got it wrong' by launching a scathing attack on the match officials following England's 3-2 victory over Mexico at the Azteca Stadium. Tuchel, who took charge of the Three Lions earlier this year, was furious with the refereeing standards after his side played 45 minutes with 10 men and conceded a controversial penalty.
Tuchel's Post-Match Outburst
England secured a hard-fought win against the tournament hosts, but the victory was overshadowed by Tuchel's criticism of the officiating. The German manager singled out the referee, fourth official, and VAR for what he deemed inadequate performance. 'It's just not good enough. The referees are just not good enough, fourth officials are just not good enough,' Tuchel said. He specifically questioned the VAR decisions that led to Jarell Quansah's red card and the penalty awarded against Harry Kane for a challenge on Brian Gutierrez.
Hart's Response
Joe Hart, who earned 75 caps for England, disagreed with Tuchel's approach. 'I think he has got that wrong. I don't know why he has gone so hard on that after such an impressive performance,' Hart said. '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.' Hart suggested Tuchel should have focused on his team's resilience rather than the officiating.
Additional Controversy
Tuchel also expressed frustration over the decision to suspend Folarin Balogun's one-match ban for a year, allowing the United States forward to play against Belgium. US President Donald Trump reportedly called FIFA President Gianni Infantino to request an appeal, though Infantino insisted the call did not influence the ruling. 'Who overturns this decision then and when? And on what grounds? How far does this go now? This is strange for me,' Tuchel said. 'Where does this start and where does this end?'
