England boss Thomas Tuchel apologises for ‘repulsive’ Jude Bellingham remark | OneFootball

Thomas Tuchel confirmed he apologised to Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham over a remark made about him in an interview.

Tuchel has named his latest England squad ahead of the Three Lions return to 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification next month.

England will face a home tie with Andorra at Villa Park on September 6 before a tricky trip to Serbia three days later.

Bellingham has already been ruled out for the incoming games after undergoing surgery on a persistent shoulder injury after the Club World Cup in July.

The former Borussia Dortmund star is expected to be back in action in October for both club and country with clubmate Trent Alexander-Arnold overlooked by Tuchel this time following a mixed start to life in Madrid.

As part of his squad confirmation, Tuchel also faced questions over comments made about Bellingham’s on pitch attitude earlier this year.

The German tactician told an interview with Talksport there were certain aspects of Bellingham’s game that he found ‘repulsive’.

“If he [Bellingham] smiles, he wins over everyone. But sometimes you see the rage, the hunger and the fire and it comes out in a way that can be a bit repulsive, for example, for my mother when she sits in front of the TV.”

Tuchel reveals Jude Bellingham apology after England criticism

Tuchel has now apologised for that statement and stated he immediately reached out to Bellingham to explain himself.

“Of course, I made contact straight away with him,” as per BBC Sport.

“I used the word unintentionally, just to make it very clear. There was no message or hidden agenda.

“I fully understood and understand it’s my responsibility that I created these headlines. I’m sorry for the upset and sorry for the headlines I created.

“I’m experienced enough and should’ve known better, I should’ve done better. I thought I had a little more credit with you guys [the media] that I do all this in my second language.”