"Thomas Tuchel's decision to ignore Jude Bellingham's desire to be included in his latest England squad is proof the head coach sees a wider picture stretching beyond the Real Madrid superstar. The 22-year-old, who famously mouthed "who else?" when scoring a spectacular stoppage-time overhead kick as England beat Slovakia in the last 16 of Euro 2024, now knows there are other options Tuchel will consider."
"Tuchel's relationship with Bellingham has already created headlines, particularly when he admitted after the 3-1 loss to Senegal at the City Ground in June that his mother sometimes viewed the player's on-field behaviour as "repulsive" . He later publicly apologised, insisting he used the word "unintentionally" and has not been slow to praise the midfielder. Tuchel, however, has been in no rush to return Bellingham to the squad, despite a status in recent years which has had him regarded as the fulcrum of England's team."
Thomas Tuchel ignored Jude Bellingham's request to be included in the latest England squad, demonstrating a selection policy focused on wider team considerations rather than star reputation. Bellingham has played limited minutes for Real Madrid after shoulder surgery, starting only once and making three substitute appearances. Tuchel emphasizes performance over reputation and rejects automatic recalls for high-profile players. He acknowledged Bellingham wanted a call-up and described him as special, while asserting that special players can face special rules. Public friction between Tuchel and Bellingham has been followed by both apology and praise.
Read at www.bbc.com
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