Clement Turpin has been appointed referee for England’s opening World Cup game against Croatia on Wednesday – and was once labelled a “Grade E” official by head coach Thomas Tuchel.
The Frenchman showed then Bayern Munich boss Tuchel two yellow cards in the German club’s Champions League quarter-final second leg against Manchester City in April 2023, sending him to the stands.
Turpin produced five yellow cards in the first half at Allianz Arena and a straight red for Bayern defender Dayot Upamecano for a last-man challenge on Erling Haaland, but an offside call from the video assistant referee (VAR) reversed the decision.
Bayern’s 4-1 aggregate loss prompted Tuchel to criticise Turpin post-match, saying: “Two things couldn’t keep up with the level – the pitch wasn’t in good condition and also the referee, unfortunately, was Grade E.
“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.”