Thomas Tuchel could not see his players as they sang the national anthem before England’s 4-2 win over Croatia on Wednesday. A wall of 50 photographers, half a metre away, blocked his view from the dugout at AT&T Stadium in Dallas. “I was standing in front of a wall of 50 photographers and I could not see one single player,” the England head coach said afterwards. “It ruined a little bit my experience.”
Less than 24 hours later, Fifa relented. The world governing body has altered its pre-match protocol, grouping photographers in a huddle closer to the halfway line for future fixtures. The coaching staff will no longer be required to remain in front of the dugouts; they may move left or right for an unobstructed view. Fifa first deployed the change during Thursday’s Group A match between Czech Republic and South Africa in Atlanta.
“Thomas Tuchel got Fifa to move photographers after he could not see his players during England's national anthem before their 4-2 win.”
The issue arose because the NFL pitch at AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys, is too small for World Cup matches. The surface was raised 1.2 metres to fit a football pitch, eliminating part of the sidelines and leaving cramped space for coaches and photographers during the anthems.
Despite the frustration, Tuchel linked arms with his coaching staff for a rousing rendition of God Save the King. He did not sing the English anthem, saying: “I think we are not there yet… At the very end maybe. I am still a bit shy. I don’t want to offend people.”
On the pitch, England took a firm grip of Group L with goals from Jude Bellingham, Marcus Rashford and a Harry Kane double. The victory was Tuchel’s first as a World Cup manager, but the moment he had waited for – watching his team sing the anthem – was spoiled. “When I was young and when I started coaching, this was too big to dream of this kind of occasion,” he said. “I was waiting for this moment.”
He was forced to look up at the big screen to see his players. Now, with photographers moved, he will not have to rely on a screen for England’s next fixture. Whether the compromise fully satisfies Tuchel remains unclear; the Football Association is still awaiting discussions with Fifa over the issue.