England signed off on the 2024/25 season with their first defeat under Thomas Tuchel.
The Three Lions opted to bring in the former Chelsea boss at the start of 2025 as part of a contract until the end of the FIFA 2026 World Cup next summer.
Tuchel eased to successive World Cup qualifier wins at home to Albania and Latvia in March but the June window has been trickier for his squad.
A tight 1-0 victory over Andorra in Barcelona was swiftly followed by 3-1 friendly loss against Senegal in Nottingham – with fresh questions over his ability to end England’s long wait for a trophy in 2026.
Tuchel was clear in his post-match message of crucial improvements needed for September’s window and admitted the incoming Club World Cup will impact his players in the months ahead.
The German coach has indicated Premier League pair Liverpool and Arsenal will have a major 2025/25 title race advantage due to not competing this summer.
📲 Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp
Real Madrid are hoping to resurrect a poor 2024/25 season with success in the competition and England’s Jude Bellingham will be crucial for Xabi Alonso’s team.
Tuchel reveals World Cup plan for Bellingham
Bellingham will be joined in Madrid by England colleague Trent Alexander-Arnold following his decision to leave Liverpool.
The former Borussia Dortmund star enjoyed a strong personal campaign – albeit not matching his sensational debut 20223/24 season – as the 21-year-old still scored 14 goals from midfield.
Carlo Ancelotti tweaked his role from a false No.9 in his first year into a hybrid No.10 to ease the arrival of Kylian Mbappe into his starting lineup.
Getting the best from Bellingham is essential to allow England to go deep in the World Cup but Tuchel is concerned over one aspect of his game.
Getty Images
“He has a certain something and brings an edge. However, that needs to be channelled towards the opponent and our goals, not to intimidate teammates or be aggressive to the opposition,” as per an interview with TalkSPORT.
“He has that fire – I don’t want to dim that, he should play with it as a strength. But, that also brings some traits that can intimidate his teammates.
“From the outside I thought he could be a No.6 and a No.8. Then he had an amazing season as a false nine at Real Madrid, scoring and creating chances.”
Tuchel’s concern of Bellingham’s ‘fire’ crossing the line on occasion is backed up by the numbers, with 13 yellow cards for club and country in the last 12 months, and two reds for Real Madrid.
Real Madrid news and related links
