4 min readJul 14, 2026 05:39 PM IST
England skipper Harry Kane addressed the recent comments made by coach Thomas Tuchel and midfielder Jude Bellingham after the quarterfinal win vs Norway, saying that the broadcasters were trying to create a division within the squad. He dismissed the talks of a rift and said that things were being blown out of proportion.
“When you are playing a game like that and to be asked a question five minutes after the final whistle, and he (Bellingham) didn’t really know what the manager has said, what do you want Jude to say? We had just been through a battle. It was really tough out there. It is easy to try and create this division – it seems like an English mentality, an English thing to do at these major tournaments. But it is the complete opposite. The group is where we are because of our togetherness – not just the players, the coach and the staff. Things sometimes get made out to be more than they are,” Kane said to BBC.
“We understand it. Players on the pitch know more than anyone when you are playing well, when you are not playing well, that is part and parcel of football. We understand what the boss meant, the boss has been so complimentary of the group. He said the mentality of the group, which is sometimes the hardest part, has been at the highest, highest level and we have been for some time now. He wears his heart on his sleeve and people appreciate that. When he talks, it is never scripted. That is what makes him who he is. When it just comes naturally, you believe in that, you believe in what he is saying, you believe in his approach. He is one of the best managers in the world for a reason. We understand it. Over the past two years we have got to know him and know what makes him happy,” he added.
Harry Kane has addressed those post-match England interviews from Thomas Tuchel and Jude Bellingham… pic.twitter.com/LUIHK3gbSB
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) July 13, 2026
It all started with a rather contentious interview Thomas Tuchel did on the pitch with Fox Sports, where he complained about his team.
“We made life very, very difficult for ourselves today,” Tuchel said in a with . “The result is fantastic. We’re in the last four. It’s amazing, but not happy with the performance … in every sense. The commitment is there but we made life very, very difficult for ourselves with how we played. Lot of technical mistakes, not fast enough, sloppy! We were lucky today.”
When he was asked if it was a mentality issue, a rather agitated Tuchel pushed back: “Mentality? How can you ask about mentality now? You can bottle it and sell it. This is pure mentality!”
Tuchel clarified in his news conference later on that he was “proud and happy” with how his squad has overcome adversity, but added, “I’m also a football coach and I also have demands. … I think we can play faster. I think we can play more clinical.”
When his coach’s comments were put in front of Bellingham, clapped back.
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“Maybe he doesn’t really know what it’s like to play in those kind of conditions against Erling Haaland, Martin Odegaard… That’s not an easy team to play against. We have tried to create a positive environment and we should continue that going into the final four. Can’t speak highly enough for the lads. You’re not going to win every game making a thousand passes. Sometimes you have to win dirty. We did that tonight.”
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