KANSAS CITY, Missouri — England’s first match of the World Cup against Croatia on Wednesday comes with an unusual backstory: the referee assigned to the game is Frenchman Clement Turpin, a man their own head coach once publicly torn apart in a post-match interview.
Back in April 2023, Turpin was officiating a Champions League quarter-final second leg between Bayern Munich and Manchester City when he sent Bayern’s manager — who is now England’s coach, Thomas Tuchel — to the stands. Tuchel had been protesting after receiving two yellow cards from Turpin during the match, which ended in a 1-1 draw. Manchester City went on to win the tie 4-1 on aggregate.
Turpin’s officiating that night drew Tuchel’s fury. In addition to sending the coach off, the referee handed out five yellow cards in the first half alone and initially showed Bayern defender Dayot Upamecano a straight red card, though that decision was later reversed after a VAR review determined an offside had occurred.
Tuchel did not hold back when speaking to reporters after the match. “Two things couldn’t keep up with the level, the pitch wasn’t in good condition and also the referee, unfortunately, was Grade E,” he said. “I’d give him a one out of 10. He was absolutely terrible. It’s unbelievable at this level. He was whistling for everything and anything. Everything was against us.”
Tuchel added: “In the end, we were never in a position to turn things around with three men against us. That’s a fact.”
England midfielder Jude Bellingham has also had friction with Turpin. During a Champions League semi-final in 2024, the referee physically pushed Bellingham away from the penalty area when the Real Madrid player attempted to distract Bayern’s Harry Kane as he prepared to take a penalty kick.
Kane, now Bellingham’s international teammate with England, spoke about the moment afterward. “I’m sure (Bellingham) was saying something to try and put me off but, thankfully, it was OK,” Kane told reporters. “I don’t know what he was saying. I saw him there mumbling something.”
Despite the controversy surrounding him, Turpin is no stranger to high-profile assignments. He has refereed the 2021 Europa League final, the 2022 Champions League final, and England’s 0-0 draw with Slovenia at the 2024 European Championship.
