Thomas Tuchel has responded to England fans' sarcastic chants during their World Cup qualifier against Latvia, following his criticism of the Wembley atmosphere during the previous match against Wales. After England's 3-0 victory over Wales, Tuchel expressed his disappointment with the "silent" atmosphere at Wembley Stadium, stating that the team "didn't get any energy back from the stands" and that "the stadium was silent". He contrasted this with the "excellent support" the team received in Serbia.
Traveling England fans in Riga, Latvia, responded to Tuchel's comments with a series of humorous and X-rated chants aimed at the German manager. These included "Thomas Tuchel, we'll sing when we want!", "Are we loud enough for you?", "Our support is f*g s*!", and "Tuchel give us a song!". Tuchel acknowledged the chants with a smile and a thumbs-up.
Asked about the chants after the game, Tuchel laughed them off, saying, "I got some stick in the first half but fair enough and well done, good sense of humour and no problem, I can handle it". He also praised the "brilliant support from start to finish" in Latvia.
Tuchel's initial criticism stemmed from the perceived lack of energy from the home crowd during the win against Wales, despite England scoring three goals in the first 20 minutes. He noted that he "never got any energy back from the fans" and that "if you just hear Wales fans, it's a bit sad". He also mentioned that a significant portion of the 70,000-strong crowd left before full-time due to severe delays on the London Underground.
The Football Supporters' Association (FSA) responded to Tuchel's initial comments, stating, "We appreciate Thomas Tuchel pushing for a better atmosphere; it's something we all want to see". However, they also pointed out the challenges many fans face in attending midweek games.
Despite the back-and-forth, the atmosphere in Latvia was positive, with England securing a 5-0 victory and qualifying for the 2026 World Cup. Tuchel expressed his delight with the result and the team's performance, stating, "It's our dream to go to America and now we made it, with another good performance and top result". He also acknowledged the importance of fan support, saying, "It makes such a difference if you go out as a player or a coach and you see the fans behind the team and fans singing". England captain Harry Kane echoed this sentiment, stating, "I know Thomas came out after the last game and said the fans weren't great, but you can't question our away support ever and the way they were tonight was fantastic".
