Under Tuchel, the English national football team has already made history – they played the perfect qualification and got their ticket to the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Mexico and Canada. Eight games, eight wins. Zero goals conceded. No European team had ever achieved this before.
Tuchel appears correspondingly self-confident. “That’s the decision and he has to accept the decision,” said the England coach after the game against Albania, referring to Bellingham. “His friend is waiting on the sidelines, so you have to accept that, respect that and move on.”
Bellingham and Rogers grew up just a few kilometers apart in the English Midlands, they went to school together and played youth football on the same team. Rogers once called Bellingham “my little big brother.” But both play in the same position. And Tuchel makes it clear that he has no regard for sentimentality. Although he doesn’t want to make more of it, he stands by his word. “Respect for the teammates who come in is essential,” said the German.
The fact that Tuchel skipped Bellingham for the international matches in October caused a stir in the English media. The coach was described as a “man with an axe” and “ruthless”. Unimpressed by this, Tuchel recently emphasized that he was not guaranteeing Bellingham a regular place in the attacking midfield. The Real star has to earn his place just like all the other players.
“At the moment the two are competing with each other. They are friends, so it is a friendly competition. They don’t have to be rivals and they don’t have to hate each other. They respect each other and are fighting for the same position,” said Tuchel. The former Bundesliga coach is known for his strict rules. He doesn’t like stardom. He believes that a harmonious collective is the key to success. So far he has also had success in England.
But the conflict between Bellingham and Rogers could cause unrest in the team in the long term. Tuchel seems to be aware of this. “Can they play together?” he asked at the press conference on Sunday. He gave the answer himself: “Yes, but in a different formation, and now is not the time to change the formation.” Bellingham probably wouldn’t have liked to hear that.
