Thomas Tuchel has voiced his frustration after being unable to watch his England players sing God Save the King due to a wall of photographers blocking his view during the national anthem before the World Cup match against Croatia.
Tuchel's Anthem Frustration
Under current World Cup regulations, photographers are permitted to line the touchline during the anthems to capture images of both teams. However, Tuchel found this arrangement problematic, stating: "I have to tell you something, I'm begging FIFA to change the position of the photographers in the national anthem. I could not see my team during the national anthem and I was waiting for this moment, it was a very, very special moment today. I was standing in front of a wall of 50 photographers, half a metre away and I could not see a single player."
He added: "It ruined a little bit of my experience today, it is very emotional. When I was young, even when I started coaching this was too big to dream of, to have this kind of a career."
Tuchel's Anthem Stance
Ahead of the Croatia clash, Tuchel made it clear he would not be singing the anthem himself. "Not yet," he declared at the team's camp in Kansas City. "I think we are not there yet. At the very end [of the tournament], maybe. I am still a bit shy. I don't want to offend people and don't want to have the focus on that now."
When asked if he had learned the words, he replied: "It's not so difficult."
Feelings for England
Pressed on whether he considered himself an 'Anglophile', Tuchel said: "Yeah, it feels like that. I can't explain it but it felt like this from the first weeks at Chelsea. It just felt so good to be in the country and in the city of course, and be a part of the Premier League."
He continued: "Every day was a gift, almost. It just felt like to be in the right place. I cannot say often enough, I'm grateful, and it's an honour for me to be England head coach and nobody wants it more than me. I feel basically at home when I land, when I fly home [to England]. I would say now 'I fly home', I fly home to my home in London and it feels like home when I land in London and I'm in England."
Tuchel's comments come as England prepare for their World Cup campaign, with the German manager hoping for a rule change to enhance his matchday experience.
