Top News

England manager Thomas Tuchel has once again drawn attention for his handling of Jude Bellingham, previously remarking that the young midfielder’s on-field conduct “can be a bit repulsive”. It’s far from the first time the outspoken coach has caused controversy with his comments.

Bellingham appeared dismissive of Tuchel’s post-match remarks following England’s World Cup quarter-final victory over Norway. Yet, he’s hardly the only player to have been unsettled by the German tactician’s demanding approach to management.

Over the years, Tuchel has developed a reputation for strained relationships with club owners and executives during his tenures at Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea, and Bayern Munich. However, on several occasions, it’s been the players who’ve felt the sting of his fiery temperament.

“Shut your mouth! Shut your mouth! Shut your mouth!”

That was reportedly Tuchel’s reaction to Emre Mor after the youngster complained about a particularly gruelling punishment while the two were at Borussia Dortmund. Tuchel, believing Mor wasn’t putting in enough effort during training, ordered his fitness coach to make the youngster crawl across the pitch on his hands and knees. Mor was later frozen out of the Dortmund first-team squad. Harsh, but typical of Tuchel’s uncompromising standards.

Tuchel was generally diplomatic when discussing Bayern Munich’s high-profile arrival from Liverpool, Sadio Mane, even after the forward’s infamous altercation with team-mate Leroy Sane. The coach maintained that Mane had his “full support” following his apology and described him as an “absolute professional”.

However, Tuchel didn’t hold back when evaluating Mane’s performances during his underwhelming season in Bavaria. “Basically, Sadio had an unsatisfactory season and fell short of expectations,” Tuchel stated. “The competitive situation is extremely high for him with Kingsley Coman and Serge Gnabry. We have a constellation which makes it very difficult for Sadio. The player knows that too, he knows my opinion and the opinion of the club.” It was brutally honest, and soon after, Mane moved to Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr — an exit that seemed inevitable.

Another notable example dates back to Tuchel’s early managerial days at Mainz, where he earned a reputation as a demanding instructor. Before a crucial fixture against Hamburg, the Mainz boss lashed out at young forward Shawn Parker for disregarding tactical instructions during training. “Shawn! Shawn!” Tuchel shouted. “What is your idea of playing football? You come to training and you do only what you want! There is not a single ball for our game, it’s just for your own game! Here a trick, there a trick and there another idea – and none of them works! I’m fed up!” The video of that tirade later went viral on social media, showcasing Tuchel’s intensity even in his formative years as a coach.

Romelu Lukaku’s second spell at Chelsea began with high expectations following his £97 million return in the summer of 2021. However, his relationship with Tuchel quickly soured, largely due to his controversial Sky Italia interview. In it, Lukaku questioned Tuchel’s tactics and expressed frustration at being left on the bench, saying, “I’m not happy with the situation, this is normal. But I am a worker and I must not give up.” He also admitted his desire to return to Inter Milan — comments that didn’t sit well with the Chelsea hierarchy or his manager. Although Tuchel continued to select him, reports suggested that Lukaku was one of several attacking players dissatisfied with Tuchel’s methods during the 2021–22 campaign. “The mood among many of Chelsea’s attacking players isn’t good to say the least, due to the way Tuchel uses and treats them,” a club source told The Athletic. “The situation has grown serious enough for some of them to start considering a transfer away in the summer.”

While Thomas Tuchel and Kylian Mbappe never had an explosive fallout during their time together at Paris Saint-Germain, their relationship was occasionally strained. Mbappe scored 83 goals and provided 47 assists in 98 matches under Tuchel — more games than he has played under any other manager. Tuchel also remains the only coach to have guided him to a Champions League final. However, tension surfaced during a 5-0 win over Montpellier in February 2020 when Tuchel substituted Mbappe, prompting a visibly irritated reaction from the forward. Tuchel later commented that the exchange was “not good” because it “opens up discussion” and “distracts our minds.” He added, “I’m not angry. I’m sad.”

Tuchel’s handling of senior midfielder Nuri Sahin at Borussia Dortmund also raised eyebrows. For the 2017 DFB Pokal final against Eintracht Frankfurt, Tuchel left Sahin out of the squad entirely. Despite Dortmund’s 2-1 victory, club captains Marcel Schmelzer and Marco Reus described the omission as “a shock” and voiced support for their teammate. That match ultimately turned out to be Tuchel’s last in charge of the club, following a breakdown in his relationship with chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke and several senior players.

Another flashpoint at Dortmund involved defender Mats Hummels. The club’s decision to sell him to rivals Bayern Munich reportedly contributed to Tuchel’s falling out with the board. Nevertheless, Tuchel and Hummels also had their own disagreements. In Hummels’ final appearance before his transfer — a DFB Pokal final defeat to Bayern in 2016 — Tuchel substituted him off, later explaining curtly, “Mats can do better.” The following season, the two met in Dortmund during an international break to clear the air, with Hummels confirming, “We met during the international break in Dortmund and talked.”