Joe Hart takes aim at Tuchel’s VAR outburst after England’s Mexico thriller

Joe Hart has publicly disagreed with Thomas Tuchel after the England manager launched a scathing attack on match officials and VAR following the Three Lions’ dramatic 3-2 win over Mexico at the World Cup. The BBC pundit and former England goalkeeper suggested Tuchel had misjudged his post-match remarks, reportedly telling viewers: “He’s got that wrong.”

England reached the last 16 courtesy of two goals from Jude Bellingham and a penalty converted by Harry Kane, despite having right-back Jarell Quansah sent off during a chaotic night at the Estadio Azteca. The victory was overshadowed, however, by Tuchel’s furious post-match assessment of the officiating.

Tuchel’s fury at officials

England had to withstand a string of contentious calls, including a penalty awarded to Mexico in the second half after Kane made contact with Brian Gutierrez inside the box. Speaking afterwards, Tuchel did not hold back in his criticism of the standard of refereeing at the tournament.

“It’s just not good enough. The referees are just not good enough, fourth officials are just not good enough,” Tuchel said. “That’s the bottom line. Three people in the VAR from South America in a match like this, if this is correct, VAR overturns… is this a clear and obvious error for the penalty? For sure not.”

He continued: “They overturned a situation where he doesn’t even give a foul. Referees just not good enough, fourth officials just not good enough.”

Hart pushes back

Hart, working as a pundit for the BBC’s coverage of the tournament, was quick to dissect the England boss’s comments once the broadcast turned to studio analysis. His verdict that Tuchel “got that wrong” set the tone for a wider debate about whether the manager’s remarks were fair given the pressure and controversy of the occasion.

The Mexico fixture had already been billed as one of the most fraught tests of England’s tournament, played in front of a hostile crowd at the fearsome Azteca. Quansah’s dismissal only added to the sense of a match defined by refereeing flashpoints, with Tuchel’s post-match interview becoming a talking point of its own.

England’s focus turns to Norway

Despite the row over officiating, England’s win means they progress to face Norway in the last 16, setting up a meeting with a side that has caused its own shockwaves at the tournament. Attention will now shift towards preparations for that fixture, though Tuchel’s comments on the officials are likely to continue generating discussion in the build-up.

Read more: Henderson’s Bellingham prediction proved spot on after Mexico brace