Perhaps it was a warning to Jude Bellingham when Thomas Tuchel didn’t even mention Jude Bellingham. The England manager was asked about David Spence, the moment the full-back and his team-mate Mikey van de van Thomas Frank were ignored when the Tottenham boss asked them to cheer on their fans after their heartbreaking defeat to Chelsea. It would have been easy for Tuchel to say it was a Tottenham thing or to point out that Spence had gone to Frank without compliments to apologise. Instead, he replied, “I didn’t like it.”
His reason for intervening was that he said: “They are always national players and the standard of behavior is always important.” And so on to England’s 2-0 win over Albania, another reaction that was mocked even if it was one of desperation. Bellingham’s number was high, and his response displeased Tuchel. “We’re not going to change our mind just because someone waves their hands,” he said.
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It could be interpreted as a backlash against the coach who left him out of the October squad and then introduced him as a substitute against Serbia on Thursday. Tawakkel decided to point to Morgan Rogers, the man waiting to arrive. “His friend is waiting on the side of the field,” he said. And Bellingham and Rogers are really good friends. Now, it’s safe to say, Bellingham had no intention of disrespecting a man he’s known for years. Perhaps most important was Tuchel’s belief in the collective: “We’re about commitment and respect for each other.”
This was a message Tuchel could convey privately. But he talks about transparency about players’ roles on the team, and by making that public, there’s clarity about other expectations of his charges. There’s consistency, too: after his words about Spence, he didn’t question the actions of a far more prominent player on international duty.
And, Bellingham being Bellingham, there is a chance that things will be overdone or exaggerated. It doesn’t make sense that Tuchel, for example, won’t take him to the World Cup: the England manager is a perfectionist who knows the task of winning the tournament will be more difficult without the player who finished third in the Ballon d’Or voting in 2024.
But Tuchel can talk about levels, standards and behavior. He feels it applies to everyone. He wants Bellingham to channel his drive and will to win. For him, he cannot show himself in gestures of frustration to teammates. Given his disciplinary record at Real Madrid, it might be best if he didn’t mince words for the referees.
Some might see that as a downgrade for Bellingham, others simply Tuchel trying to make him better by turning his energy into something productive and his determination to excel into something that feels more about the team and less about the individual.
One interpretation is that Bellingham no longer enjoys preferential treatment. No more that he never was: he was simply propelled to the top by his talent. It was a sign of his precocity when he captained Borussia Dortmund in the knockout stages of the Champions League as a teenager.
Gareth Southgate had included Bellingham in the Euro 2024 leadership group. Tuchel sees obvious leaders in Harry Kane, Declan Rice and John Stones, but also relies on senior professionals such as Jordan Henderson and Dan Byrne to set the right example. He has mentioned how his team has several captains at club level: the likes of Reece James, Mark Gohey and Jarrod Bowen. There are few signs that they have aroused his displeasure. Unlike Bellingham
The nature of international football can sometimes mean that the players seem bigger than the team or the manager. Southgate is the most successful manager in England after Alf Ramsey. But in Tuchel, they have a Champions League-winning coach in charge of Champions League-winning players. They also have a man who is less diplomatic. Tuchel’s words have not always endeared him to his employers. Especially at Bayern Munich, he seemed to alienate a lot of people.
Tuchel may not change, but he feels Bellingham must. He certainly feels free to continue criticizing. As Tuchel said, Bellingham’s latest offense was relatively minor. It should not be an obstacle to choose. But Tuchel said Bellingham should accept his substitutions with grace. He should also accept that he has a manager who will admonish him if he doesn’t.
