England have been assigned French referee Clément Turpin for their World Cup opener against Croatia on Wednesday. Turpin, a highly-respected official who regularly takes charge of Champions League games, will oversee the match in his third World Cup appearance.
Turpin's Controversial History with England Stars
Turpin has a contentious history with England players and manager Thomas Tuchel. During Euro 2024, he officiated England's clash with Slovenia. More notably, in a Champions League semi-final between Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, Turpin pushed Jude Bellingham away as he tried to distract Harry Kane before a penalty.
The incident occurred when Kane stepped up for the spot kick. Bellingham approached him, seemingly attempting to put him off with words. Turpin intervened by pushing the Madrid star away, creating headlines after the match.
When asked about the moment, Kane said: "I'm sure he was saying something to try and put me off but, thankfully, it was OK. I don't know what he was saying. I saw him there mumbling something. I'll have to ask him what he actually said. Once I'm in my zone I'm trying to block everything out."
Tuchel's Previous Run-In with Turpin
Turpin also sent off Tuchel in April 2023 when the German was in charge of Bayern Munich. After a controversial penalty was awarded to Manchester City, Turpin showed Tuchel two yellow cards, sending him to the stands during the quarter-final loss.
Following the match, Tuchel was critical of Turpin, stating: "I'd give him a 1/10. He was absolutely terrible. It's unbelievable at this level. 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."
Meanwhile, English referee Anthony Taylor has been appointed to officiate Uzbekistan's opener with Colombia on Wednesday.
