French referee Clement Turpin has been appointed to oversee England’s opening World Cup match against Croatia on Wednesday, despite having a history of controversy involving Three Lions head coach Thomas Tuchel.
Turpin famously clashed with Tuchel during Bayern Munich’s Champions League quarter-final defeat to Manchester City in 2023.
The official sent the German coach to the stands after issuing him two yellow cards during the first leg at the Etihad Stadium.
The tension continued in the return fixture in Munich, where Turpin handed out five first-half bookings and initially showed Bayern defender Dayot Upamecano a straight red card for a challenge on Erling Haaland.
The dismissal was later overturned after a VAR review confirmed Haaland had been offside.
Following Bayern’s 4-1 aggregate elimination, Tuchel launched a scathing assessment of the referee’s performance.
“Two things couldn't keep up with the level – the pitch and the referee,” Tuchel said at the time.
“I’d give him one out of 10. He was absolutely terrible. Everything seemed to go against us.”
England midfielder Jude Bellingham has also had previous dealings with Turpin.
While playing for Real Madrid, the midfielder was firmly moved away from the penalty spot by the Frenchman as he attempted to distract Bayern striker Harry Kane before a penalty kick.
Despite those incidents, Turpin remains one of Europe’s most respected officials.
The 43-year-old has refereed some of the biggest matches in club football, including the 2021 Europa League final and the 2022 Champions League final.
He also officiated at Euro 2024, where he took charge of England’s goalless draw against Slovenia.
Now, Turpin will once again be in the spotlight as England begin their World Cup campaign against Croatia, with Tuchel hoping the focus remains on the football rather than the officiating.
