Who’s the referee for England vs Croatia today? The man Tuchel can’t stand and once branded ‘Grade E’ in explosive rant | Football News
England’s opening FIFA World Cup 2026 Group L clash against Croatia comes with an unusual subplot on the touchline. The man in charge of officiating the match is French referee Clément Turpin, one of Europe’s most experienced officials and someone England manager Thomas Tuchel once publicly labelled a “Grade E” referee after a heated Champions League encounter in 2023. While Tuchel and Turpin have since moved on from that explosive night, their history has resurfaced ahead of England’s World Cup opener, placing additional attention on the official tasked with overseeing one of the standout fixtures of the opening round.
Why Thomas Tuchel criticised Clément Turpin
The tension dates back to April 2023 when Tuchel was managing Bayern Munich during their UEFA Champions League quarter-final second leg against Manchester City. Turpin officiated the match, which ended 1-1 and sealed City’s 4-1 aggregate victory. The evening proved deeply frustrating for Tuchel. Turpin showed the Bayern coach two yellow cards during the contest and eventually sent him off. One of those cautions came after Tuchel reacted sarcastically by applauding a decision involving Dayot Upamecano, who was initially shown a red card for bringing down Erling Haaland before the decision was reversed after the assistant referee flagged for offside. Tuchel’s frustration boiled over after the match. “Two things couldn’t keep up with the level — the pitch wasn’t in good condition and also the referee, unfortunately, was Grade E,” Tuchel said. “I’d give him a one out of 10. He was absolutely terrible. It’s unbelievable at this level. “He was whistling for everything and anything. Everything was against us.” A second booking for protesting another decision eventually sent Tuchel to the stands, making Turpin one of the few referees to dismiss the current England manager during a Champions League match.
Who is Clément Turpin?
Despite that criticism, Turpin remains one of the most highly regarded referees in world football. The 44-year-old Frenchman has officiated Ligue 1 matches since 2008 and became a FIFA-listed referee in 2010. The ongoing FIFA World Cup 2026 is his third World Cup tournament after previously working matches in Russia in 2018 and Qatar in 2022. His résumé includes some of the biggest fixtures in European football. Turpin officiated the 2021 Europa League final and was selected to referee the 2022 UEFA Champions League final, where Real Madrid defeated Liverpool 1-0. He also took charge of England’s goalless draw against Slovenia at UEFA Euro 2024.
Tuchel’s stance ahead of England vs Croatia
Although his comments from 2023 continue to attract attention, Tuchel struck a far more diplomatic tone when asked about Turpin before England’s World Cup clash against Croatia. “He’s a top referee, and he was not happy with my behaviour in the match, so he gave me a red card, and I was not happy with his performance in the match,” Tuchel said ahead of the Group L encounter. “It’s always better to not speak about the referee as a coach. It’s maybe not always possible because it brings out emotion, and it was an emotional night and very important match in Champions League. “But if I get a red card, I don’t hold it against the referee. We’re fighting for the best outcome, we’re competing in sports and I think it’s the same for him. “I truly believe that he’s a top referee, which he proves on the highest level and he will show it tomorrow.” As England and Croatia renew a rivalry that stretches back to the 2018 World Cup semi-final, Turpin will once again find himself at the centre of a major international occasion, this time with one of his former critics watching from the opposite technical area.
