Thomas Tuchel questioned the number of rule changes ahead of the 2026 World Cup and admitted his fears of referees at the tournament.
A special meeting of the football law-making body, the International Football Association Board (IFAB), concluded several changes, including an attempt to limit the number of fights in the penalty area before a corner kick or free kick is taken.
Ben White’s goal for England in the 1-1 draw against Uruguay in March 2026 was used as an example of what the IFAB wants to crack down on.
Other changes include a substitute being required to leave the field within 10 seconds of the scoreboard being raised, new VAR authority to overturn decisions on awarding a corner kick, and reviewing dismissals for second yellow card offences.
Seeing some changes, especially about the situation in the penalty box when the ball is dead, where England is an example, Tuchel feels disturbed.
“We are not so happy that it was a goal (that was used as an example) and it happened to be our goal. There are a lot of rule changes and I’m happy that we’re having another meeting, I think next week.”
“I’ve had one meeting, I’m not sure I understood everything correctly. That’s a lot. I’m a little worried that there are still a lot of things that are subjective for the referee to decide.”
“I’m worried the referee will have to make a lot of extra decisions on the pitch. I’m not sure it all gives us more clarity.”
“I can see the desire to have more clarity. I’m not sure that the change of rules so quickly before the tournament encouraged that, but let’s see. Of course we will play according to the rules.”
“We are aware that in the English League, corner kicks and dead balls are more physical than in other countries. However, it is normal.”
“In the Europa League, the Champions League, the referees are a little different and then you adapt. The rule you mentioned about blocking before the ball is played? Let’s see.”
“That is our strength and of course we will try to make the best of it. Why not? It’s just one way to do it.”
“Every team will try to do it. Hopefully we find a consistent way to lead the game. I think this is what everyone wants, namely consistency, it’s quite difficult for everyone with the new rules.”
“Hopefully we get more clarity, but it’s not always the case if the rules are implemented in such a short time. However, I’m happy we’ll have a meeting next week and we’ll understand it,” said Tuchel.
Meanwhile, the England national team flew to Miami to try to adapt to the hot weather, but this week was marked by rain and thunderstorms. One early training session this week was delayed by an hour due to lightning.
“It shows us that we can plan whatever we want and life does what it wants.”
“It rained heavily, the sky was gray, very unusual. Today is the first day of full training in the sun, which is what we want. The weather is still very warm. Training is not affected by the weather.”
“It’s easier to train without sunlight. It’s okay. We adapt and make the best use of it. The pool has not been used in the afternoon until now.”
“I think it will change today. We don’t have enough time to be exposed to the sun, but we will catch up in the next few days,” said Tuchel.
The English, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, and French versions are automatically generated by the AI. So there may still be inaccuracies in translating, please always see Indonesian as our main language.
(system supported by DigitalSiber.id)
