Tuchel defends Ben White after jeers during England’s win over Croatia
England manager Thomas Tuchel defended Ben White after fans jeered him during the 2-1 Nations League win over Croatia, saying he hoped supporters would give him the chance to start afresh with the national team.
Tuchel said he had not heard the jeers, but had heard the crowd applauding Luka Modrić, describing the Croatian player as a legend who deserved that recognition. He added that White had not made a mistake since he took charge of England, and that he considered him committed and eager to join the group, and capable of helping the team.
White left England’s camp during the 2022 World Cup for reasons described as personal, and did not return to the national team until Tuchel took charge in March. Reports point to a previous disagreement between him and former assistant coach Steve Holland; White said this week that the crowd might not have acted that way if they knew the full story, without blaming anyone.
Tuchel felt the jeers were less intense than those heard during the friendly matches in March, and said he did not want to assume that the reaction would prompt White to leave again. He said he did not know the reasons why the player had previously left camp, and had seen nothing since taking charge to make him question White’s commitment or passion.
According to the source, the win secured England’s qualification for the Nations League quarter-finals and kept alive their chances of finishing top of Group One, the third tier, before facing group leaders Spain next Sunday.