Tuchel provoked by England reporter lying about Rice’s Argentina ‘flashback’ after Spain win
England reporter Gabriel Clarke shamelessly looked to sow discord between Thomas Tuchel and Declan Rice by telling fibs after the Three Lions’ win over Spain on Sunday.
Tuchel’s side produced a stunning display for the first 60 minutes of their clash at the Wanda Metropolitano in Madrid.
Harry Kane gave them the lead from the spot just before half-time having won the penalty himself, before Ezri Konsa and Ben White scored two in four minutes just before the hour mark to seemingly put England out of sight of the world champions.
But Elliot Anderson was sent off for tugging Lamine Yamal back in the box and Spain ramped up the pressure after Mikel Oyarzabal converted the resulting penalty.
Yamal set up Nico Williams to make it 3-2, but England held on for the last 20 minutes of the game, thanks in large part to James Trafford, who produced a magnificent double save to ensure the Three Lions finished top of Group 3.
Rice was collared by Clarke after the game and reflected on a “massive win” they were convinced was coming.
“We knew we were going to beat them tonight,” Rice said. “The message from the manager after the Croatia game has been so positive.
“The first 10 minutes was the best we’ve played. Pressure, pressure.
“Overall 10 men for half an hour, winning 3-2 against a team unbeaten in 43 is massive.
“It’s a massive win. Massive.”
Then Rice was asked – yes, he was asked, he didn’t say – if there were “flashbacks from Argentina in Atlanta”.
Rice replied: “Argentina that day [at the World Cup] wasn’t meant to be. That’s football. When they [Spain] got a second maybe it could have gone another way.”
Speaking to Tuchel a few minutes later, Clarke said: “Declan Rice has just said there were flashbacks to the defeat to Argentina.”
No he unequivocally did not, Gabriel. You asked Rice if he had flashbacks. He drew no comparison whatsoever to the Argentina game.
It’s not the first instance of Clarke sh*t-stirring in his role as intrepid ITV documentarian after he pushed for a rift to open up between Tuchel and Jude Bellingham following England’s World Cup quarter-final victory over Norway.
Fortunately Tuchel gave short shrift to this brazen attempt to drive a wedge between himself and Rice, and focused on England’s “fantastic performance”.
He said: “Brilliant performance. Well deserved win. Overall we were the better team. Fantastic performance from start to finish.
“A red card and penalty always a big decision. I need to understand why it was a double punishment.
“From then it was a long 30 minutes but I don’t want to focus on that. There were so many positive things in the first 60 minutes.
“Complete performance. We brought everything to the table. We were brave. Spirit wise, energy wise and also football quality was highest level.
“We deserved it. We focused on our performance and attitude. I can’t praise the team high enough for what they put out there.
“Half an hour feels like two hours against a team like this [with 10 men]. That’s the way it is. Without the red card we were clear winners.”
