Tuchel Regrets Not Checking on Man City Players Amid Financial Breach Verdict
England manager admits 'bad conscience' over focusing on Nations League tie as Premier League confirms club's rule violations.
Thomas Tuchel expressed regret for not checking on Manchester City players within the England squad prior to their Nations League match against Czechia, shortly after the Premier League announced its guilty verdict on the club's financial breaches.
Daily Mail Sport reported on Friday that the top-flight side had been found to have committed significant breaches of financial regulations between 2009 and 2018. The Premier League's official confirmation was released alongside a statement on Tuesday.
Despite the significant news that could have affected players such as starters in Prague, Elliot Anderson and Marc Guehi, Tuchel stated after the match that the over 115 charges had not been on his mind. "I have a bad conscience now," Tuchel told BBC Radio 5 Live when asked if he had spoken to Guehi, Anderson, and O'Reilly. "I did not actually because I am just focused on everything we have to deal with here and to prepare the team."
Premier League CEO Richard Masters stated that Manchester City's breaches, which included over £900 million in "sham" deals and deliberate attempts to obstruct investigations, demonstrated that the club had "systematically broken Premier League rules for nearly a decade."
Following the match in Prague, Tuchel also suggested that Jude Bellingham could be the next England captain, following in the footsteps of Harry Kane. Bellingham wore the captain's armband for the final 20 minutes of England's 2-0 Nations League win over the Czech Republic.
When asked if this was a glimpse into the future, the England manager said: "If you are the captain at the end of these matches, you can for sure be the permanent captain. It's a reward. It's good. I think he loves to be with us at the moment. That's what I feel."
Tuchel added that Bellingham reported a slight injury at the end of the game. England is scheduled to play Croatia on Saturday and then host the Czech Republic again next Tuesday. "Hopefully it's nothing serious and he's available for selection," Tuchel said.