24/05/2026

theSun on Sunday MAY 24, 2026

SPORTS 14

Team first

minutes as possible in the opening two weeks, while still securing top spot in Group L against Croatia, Ghana and Panama. There is no clear “first XI” in his mind. “The challenge is clear: it will be hot, it will be humid, we can have a game in huge alti tude, it’s one match more than usual because of the amount of teams – so would it make sense to rotate? Yes. And does it show also a level of trust to the players? Yes. “I think we have a significant amount of players who hope to start, and it’s more than just 11, so we will be able to rotate on a high level and give minutes and spread the min utes. “Hopefully we can do this without losing momentum, without losing connections between the players… History shows that it makes sense to rotate in the beginning of the tournament.” – The Independent

BY LAWRENCE OSTLERE

THOMAS TUCHEL (pic) can occasionally be careless with his words, like the time he said his mum found Jude Bellingham’s on-field behaviour “repulsive”. It provoked an apology and Tuchel blamed a slip of the tongue in his second language, even though his command of English is better than most of us writing up the story. He rarely stops to think too hard about how the media will interpret his words, in the way his predecessor Gareth Southgate was so

The not-so-hidden message in Tuchel’s World Cup press conference

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Guardiola will remain associated with the club as a global ambassador for the City Football Group. However, Guardiola ruled out an imme diate return to the game in a coaching role. Since taking charge of Barcelona in 2008, the 55-year-old has had just one year out of the sport, when he took a sab batical in New York before joining Bayern Munich in 2013. “I will not train for a while,” added Guardiola. “It’s not 10 years. I’ve been, except for a year in New York, 17, 18 years, every three days, three days, three days, three days. “I need to breathe a little bit, and relax. It’ll be a while, that is my feeling right now.” City narrowly missed out on the Premier League title this season to Arsenal, managed by one of Guardiola’s former assistants Mikel Arteta. But the City boss will depart with silver ware in his final campaign after lifting both the League Cup and FA Cup. A parade through Manchester will take place tomorrow to mark those achieve ments and Guardiola’s legacy. – AFP Tuchel said they were “painful conver sations” with players he respected. “We have to leave some extraordinary tal ents, some extraordinary personalities at home.” But the broad message was undeni able. “I can assure every fan in the country that we have 26 100% commit ted players in camp with us who are ready to buy into their role on and off the pitch, and who are ready and com mitted to the idea of team spirit and being unselfish.” Tuchel acknowledged that this World Cup will be a squad game like no other. For the first time there are 48 teams playing 104 games, most of which will be played out in stifling North American heat. The manager plans to rotate his squad and this fed into his thinking, too, in having a group of players with so few “stars”. He hopes to share around as many

PEP GUARDIOLA said yesterday he feared he would run out of the energy required to lead Manchester City after announcing his glittering 10-year tenure as manager will come to an end. After amassing 20 trophies, including six Premier League titles and the club’s first Champions League, Guardiola will step aside following today’s match at home to Aston Villa. “I think the club needs a new manager, new energy with these incredible players that we have right now and you start to write another chapter,” said Guardiola at his pre-match press conference. “I feel I will not have the energy that requires, (matches) every three days, the expectations to fight for the titles, with being in front of the players.” One of Guardiola’s former assistants Enzo Maresca is reportedly set to take charge next season. Maresca, 46, has been out of work since leaving Chelsea in January, where he won the Club World Cup and Conference League in his only full season in charge. deliberate and precise. But there could be no misunder standing of his remarks at the start of Friday’s Wembley press conference, which were pre-selected and carefully chosen. There was clarity in his voice and perhaps some loaded, pointed words for certain players. An hour after England’s World Cup squad was announced, confirming the notable omissions of Cole Palmer, Phil Foden, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Harry Maguire, Tuchel seemed to send a message. “From day one we were very clear that we are trying to select and build the best possible team, which is not nec essarily to select and collect the 26 most talented players,” Tuchel said. “Teams win championships. It’s as simple as that. And what we are trying to achieve this year can only be achieved as a team.” When pressed on specific players,

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