Thomas Tuchel shuts down question from ITV reporter after England loss to Japan

Jack Otway
Wed, 01 Apr 2026 07:47:47 +0000

Thomas Tuchel dismissed a question from an ITV journalist regarding the burden of expectation on England's squad following Tuesday's disappointing 1-0 defeat to Japan at Wembley.

The loss came with just 72 days remaining until the World Cup kicks off, leaving supporters deeply frustrated with the national team's performance.

Brighton's Kaoru Mitoma netted the only goal of the match, finishing off a clinical counter-attacking move for the visitors.

England were unable to find an equaliser despite their efforts, and both the manager and his players were met with boos from the home crowd as they left the pitch at the final whistle.

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When asked by the ITV Sport reporter whether the England shirt weighs heavy on his players, Tuchel paused briefly before offering a blunt response.

"No. I don't think so," he said, before making clear he had no interest in pursuing the line of questioning further.

"I don't want to engage in this discussion because I think it's very clear what we want to do and how we want to play and focus more on principles, on the doing, on the thinking, what it means," the head coach stated.

Tuchel acknowledged that representing England inevitably brings scrutiny, adding: "It comes with pressure. It comes with noise, playing for England. That's just how it is.

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"For sure it hurts. It's always painful to lose, and to lose at home hurts a lot."

The German coach also felt his side were harshly punished, noting: "We got punished for not a lot, for one counter attack in the first half."

He sought to provide context for the performance, explaining that several players were unavailable and the team had been experimenting with unfamiliar tactical setups.

"A new formation again, we tried a lot of stuff, and we need to learn," Tuchel said, while insisting the result should be kept in perspective rather than viewed as catastrophic.

England's World Cup preparations will continue in June when they face New Zealand and Costa Rica in their final warm-up fixtures before the tournament.

These matches will give Tuchel further opportunities to assess his options and refine his tactical approach ahead of the summer showpiece.

By the time those games take place, the head coach will have finalised and announced his complete squad for the World Cup.

The upcoming friendlies represent crucial chances for players on the fringes to stake their claims for inclusion, while also allowing Tuchel to build greater cohesion among his preferred selections following Tuesday's setback at the national stadium.