FIFA’s attempt to appease Thomas Tuchel may end up triggering further issues.
The England boss complained about being blocked by photographers ahead of last night’s 4-2 victory over Croatia, which prevented him from being able to watch his players sing the national anthem.
FIFA officials subsequently tweaked protocol for Thursday’s games by ensuring that snappers bunch closer together ahead of kick-off, while the two coaching teams moved to the left or the right.
However, it remains to be seen whether such a proposal will be acceptable to Tuchel. Indeed, it is understood that any attempt to shift him from his dugout is unlikely to be met with a positive response and that a different solution – such as moving the photographers to one side – may have to be found.
Before matches at Wembley, those taking pictures of the national anthems are positioned between the two dugouts, ensuring both sets of coaches have an unobstructed view.
That was not the case in Dallas, which a frustrated Tuchel pointed out after the game. ‘I’m begging FIFA to change the position of the photographers, because I could not see my team [during] the national anthem, and I was waiting for this moment,’ he said.
Thomas Tuchel was left fuming with a group of photographers at England’s World Cup opener
The Three Lions boss couldn’t believe how close the photographers were to England’s dugout, meaning he was unable to see his players as they sang the national anthem
FIFA subsequently tweaked protocol for Thursday’s games to ensure it wasn’t a problem (pictured – Czech Republic boss Miroslav Koubek before his side’s game with South Africa)
In a video that captured the stand-off, Tuchel looked furious with the snappers and could be heard to say: ‘Very close guys, you’re very close. You’re very close I cannot see anything.’
The German then gestured with his arms and looked to make his way past them before he stepped back and linked arms with the rest of his staff as ‘God Save the King’ started.
He instead chose to look up at the stadium’s big screen to see his players.
‘It was a very, very special moment today and I was standing in front of 50 photographers half a metre away and I could not see one single player,’ Tuchel added. ‘It ruined a little bit my experience.’
One of the issues caused in Dallas was a lack of space because the stadium was designed for the NFL. And a similar situation could unfold in Boston and New York, where the Three Lions’ next two games will also be staged in American Football venues.
