Thomas Tuchel: I absolutely believe we can win a big tournament
England head coach Thomas Tuchel, whose side face Spain in Madrid on Sunday in the UEFA Nations League, has said he absolutely believes his team can win a big tournament.
England head coach Thomas Tuchel, whose side face Spain in Madrid on Sunday in the UEFA Nations League, has said he absolutely believes his team can win a big tournament.
England, who secured their place in the quarter-finals by beating Croatia 2-1 on Thursday, are three points behind Spain and will finish top of Group A3 if they win the match at the Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid. A draw would be enough for Spain to finish first.
Spain have won 7 of their last 10 matches against England (1 draw, 2 defeats). Those meetings include the 2-1 win in the Euro 2024 final and the 3-2 win in the Nations League match at Wembley in September. England, however, have won all of their last 9 away matches, equalling the nine-match run between December 1965 and October 1967, which is England's longest winning run away from home.
Tuchel said before the match:
"I absolutely believe we can win a big tournament. I had the belief before the World Cup. That's why it was very painful we fell short. The belief is there and the attitude to push our limits. I'm happy with the progress and moment we're in. It's a good moment to challenge the world champions. We want to win the Nations League and we want to win the Euros."
In the win over Croatia, Jude Bellingham became the fourth England player to reach 6 assists in a calendar year since records began in 1980 (after Les Ferdinand in 1993, David Beckham in 2004 and Raheem Sterling in 2019). No player has reached 7 assists in a year during that period.
On Bellingham and the Ballon d'Or, Tuchel said:
"He was already in the mix for this Ballon d'Or. I understand the obsession and scrutiny of this individual prize. You can maybe understand me as a team coach, I believe in team spirit and togetherness. I'm not the biggest fan of that prize. But of course Jude is one of the most talented players on the planet. One of the most exciting midfield players. He's where decisive actions happen on the field. He had an incredible World Cup for us, was decisive and influential on the very highest level. He's one of the key players for Real Madrid every three days and will be up to the highest level. That's for sure the stage he loves and brings out the very best in him."