Tuchel: Grateful to be at the World Cup leading England, still won't sing the anthem

Thomas Tuchel is set to lead England into a World Cup for the first time when his squad faces Croatia in Dallas on Wednesday in Group L, and he is certain that this upcoming tournament appearance marks a pinnacle in his coaching career.

The German boasts a successful coaching career, having secured titles in his homeland and France before guiding Chelsea to the Champions League trophy in 2021. However, the 52-year-old was unequivocal about the magnitude of the World Cup as he aims to deliver England's second title, 60 years after their first.

“The level here is the highest,” Tuchel stated, raising his hand above his head. “Definitely. This is the best stage, it’s the biggest tournament in the world, the biggest competition, the biggest players are playing in the same tournament. That’s it. I am grateful to have the opportunity to coach England and participate in a World Cup.

This comes with responsibility, and I want to handle it, to push the team, prepare them, and support the players to give their best. We dream. We have the right to dream, but we don't want to delude ourselves. This comes with responsibility and effort. We want to put in the effort and earn the result.”

Tuchel was forced to make a late squad change due to Tino Livramento's injury, with the Newcastle defender replaced by Chelsea's Trevoh Chalobah on the eve of their opening match. “Trevoh comes in as a central defender alternative and provides us with full defensive coverage. Tino was very disappointed and sad. We all were. It was a bit shocking when he had to stop training, and he had a premonition that this might be an injury that would cost him participation in the tournament. Unfortunately, after the examination, it turned out he was right,” the German commented.

England and Croatia meet at a World Cup for the first time since Croatia defeated Gareth Southgate's England side in the 2018 semi-finals, with Tuchel wary of Zlatko Dalic's squad despite the opponent's aging players.

“I think it’s quite obvious that they still have the core midfield with Mateo Kovacic and with Luka Modric in the center,” he said.

“They have a very strong, very solid defense, and with Mateo and Luka Modric, they still hold the heart of the team in the middle. They always pose a threat with Ivan Perisic on the left. They have tournament experience, they have a very experienced tournament coach, they are emotional, they are traditionally a strong national team, and that’s exactly what we are up against. They are very flexible between a back four and midfielders, so we need to adapt, we need to take the initiative correctly, and we need a comprehensive performance to be able to win. I am confident that we know what it takes. Croatia is a strong team, and we approach them with respect.”

When asked if he would sing the national anthem during the match against Croatia, Tuchel replied: “Not yet, I think we haven't reached that point. Maybe at the very end. I'm still a bit hesitant. I don't want to offend people, and I don't want the focus to be on that now.”