Remembering England boss Thomas Tuchel's mid-game spat with outspoken Leeds United figure
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Thomas Tuchel was officially announced as England’s new head coach on Wednesday morning and will soon be scouting possible call-ups up and down the country - with a likely return to the scene of his spat with former Leeds United sporting director Victor Orta.
Tuchel will take over as the new national team boss on January 1, putting pen to paper on an 18-month contract that will see him lead England to the 2026 World Cup. The former Chelsea boss admitted it was a ‘huge privilege’ to be appointed in the role, going on to detail the ‘personal connection’ he feels with English football.
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Hide AdAs England boss, Tuchel will spend a lot of his time outside of international breaks travelling up and down the country to watch players under consideration for a place in the Three Lions squad. Should Leeds achieve promotion from the Championship this season, a visit to Elland Road from the German would be highly likely at some point.
Tuchel has twice been to Elland Road and on neither occasion did he come out victorious, most recently losing 3-0 against Jesse Marsch’s Whites in the early weeks of the 2022/23 campaign. Goals from Brenden Aaronson, Rodrigo and Jack Harrison spelled the beginning of the end for Chelsea’s then-manager, who was sacked just weeks later.
And while Tuchel’s previous trip to LS11 was less eventful on the pitch - a hard-fought 0-0 draw in March 2021 - off-pitch antics grabbed the headlines. Leeds ceded possession to their visitors on the day and Marcelo Bielsa’s men put in a smart performance to frustrate Chelsea.
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Hide AdAnd a key flash point came in the first-half when Patrick Bamford went down injured, with Chelsea in possession and Leeds players calling for the ball to be put out of play. Those calls were loudly echoed by sporting director Orta, who could be heard as Elland Road was empty due to the Covid pandemic.
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Orta was never one to keep his opinions quiet at Leeds and could often be heard during that season, with no fans present to drown him out. But a frustrated Tuchel was also picked up, turning to the directors box and shouting: “Would you do it for our player?!"
Journalists inside Elland Road reported that Tuchel and Orta were ‘arguing’ over the decision to stop play, which Ben Chilwell eventually did, with Bamford receiving on-pitch treatment before being substituted. And the Chelsea manager’s frustrations continued as his side were kept at bay by a defensively stubborn Leeds outfit.
Should Tuchel return to Elland Road on scouting duties next season, then a run-in with Orta can at least be ruled out following the Spaniard’s exit last year. He has since returned to the same role at Sevilla, albeit not with the success he had hoped.
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Hide AdAs things stand, any visit from the incoming England boss will likely be to watch opposition players, with no obvious contenders currently playing for Daniel Farke’s side. Archie Gray will be on the German’s radar but is at Tottenham, with 16-year-old younger brother Harry Gray a little way off first-team international action.