Key facts
- French referee Clement Turpin will officiate England's World Cup opening match against Croatia.
- Thomas Tuchel, the current England coach, previously criticized Turpin's officiating.
- Turpin sent Tuchel to the stands in April 2023 during a Champions League match.
- England player Jude Bellingham has also had a past encounter with Turpin.
- Turpin has refereed significant matches including the 2021 Europa League final and the 2022 Champions League final.
French referee Clement Turpin has been appointed to officiate England's opening World Cup match against Croatia, a decision that brings to mind past controversies involving the official. Turpin was notably criticized by Thomas Tuchel, the current England coach, who labeled the referee 'Grade E' after a 2023 Champions League quarter-final draw between Bayern Munich and Manchester City. Tuchel, then managing Bayern, was sent to the stands by Turpin for protesting decisions during the match.
Tuchel described Turpin's performance as 'absolutely terrible' and gave him a 'one out of 10' rating. He felt the referee's decisions, including issuing five first-half bookings and an initial straight red card that was later overturned, significantly impacted the game, which City won 4-1 on aggregate.
England's Jude Bellingham also had a notable encounter with Turpin during a 2024 Champions League semi-final. Bellingham attempted to distract Bayern's Harry Kane during a penalty, and Turpin was seen pushing the Real Madrid player away. Kane later commented on the incident, noting Bellingham was 'mumbling something'.
Turpin's experience includes officiating the 2021 Europa League final and the 2022 Champions League final. He also refereed England's 0-0 draw with Slovenia at the 2024 European Championship.