England-Croatia referee Turpin once called 'Grade E' by Tuchel

Clement Turpin has been appointed as the referee for England's opening World Cup match against Croatia on Wednesday. The French official previously drew sharp criticism from England manager Thomas Tuchel, who once described him as a 'Grade E' referee.

Tuchel's criticism after Champions League clash

In April 2023, Turpin officiated the Champions League quarter-final second leg between Bayern Munich and Manchester City at the Allianz Arena. During the match, he issued two yellow cards to then-Bayern boss Thomas Tuchel, resulting in his dismissal to the stands. Turpin also showed five yellow cards in the first half and initially gave a straight red card to Bayern defender Dayot Upamecano for a last-man challenge on Erling Haaland. However, the red card was overturned after a VAR review for offside.

Bayern lost the match 4-1 on aggregate, prompting Tuchel to launch a scathing post-match critique. '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. In the end, we were never in a position to turn things around with three men against us. That's a fact.'

Bellingham's experience with Turpin

England midfielder Jude Bellingham has also experienced Turpin's strict officiating style. While playing for Real Madrid, Bellingham was physically moved away from the penalty spot by Turpin as he attempted to distract Bayern's Harry Kane during a penalty kick.

Turpin's reputation as a top referee

Despite these incidents, Turpin is widely regarded as one of Europe's elite referees. He took charge of the 2021 Europa League final and the 2022 Champions League final. Most recently, he officiated at Euro 2024, where he oversaw England's 0-0 group-stage draw with Slovenia.