Tuchel and Luis de la Fuente comment on racism ahead of group decider
England head coach Thomas Tuchel stressed that he does not expect any racism in Madrid having been angered before the Spain match by his remarks about protocols being “twisted”. Sunday’s Nations League Group A3 decider is England’s first in the Spanish capital since a friendly in November 2004, when Ashley Cole and Shaun Wright-Phillips were subject to racist chanting from sections of the home…
Ahead of their UEFA Nations League Group A3 match against Spain at the Metropolitano Stadium, England manager Thomas Tuchel and Spain coach Luis de la Fuente discussed the issue of racism. Tuchel expressed his displeasure with the way Spain's protocols were "twisted" and stated that he did not expect any racist abuse during the game.
He mentioned that the England team would be reminded of the protocol if there was a precedent in Madrid. De la Fuente responded by telling Tuchel that "there is no racism," emphasizing that neither Spain nor England are racist nations. Tuchel clarified that he never expected racism in Spain and that the dressing room is an anti-racist environment.
He also expressed his frustration with the way his comments were misinterpreted and reiterated his commitment to standing up for anti-racist values. England midfielder Declan Rice shared his own past experiences with racism in Montenegro and Bulgaria, mentioning that the team follows a protocol in such situations. However, both coaches expressed trust in the team's ability to maintain a friendly atmosphere and ensure a positive experience for everyone involved.
Written by urgent.news from Yahoo Sports's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
