World Cup expert Hummels remembers the argument with Tuchel at BVB
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Mats Hummels knows England coach Thomas Tuchel well. Their time together at Borussia Dortmund wasn’t always harmonious, as the ex-professional now reveals.
New York – World Cup 2026, Hummels on the microphone – and suddenly it’s not about goals, but about old scores. As a TV expert for MagentaTV, the former national player chatted about the situation shortly before the quarter-final between Norway and England (click here for the live ticker): After a defeat at FC Bayern, in which his then team Borussia Dortmund conceded five goals, coach Thomas Tuchel sought a one-on-one conversation with his central defender.
He received an answer that visibly surprised him. “I said: ‘Oh, that was one of my best games in terms of football.’” Tuchel’s reaction? Not very enthusiastic. “I can understand that he didn’t like me saying that after conceding five goals,” admitted Hummels in an interview with moderator Johannes B. Kerner.
World Cup expert Hummels: BVB time under Thomas Tuchel “sometimes rough”
Nothing escalated in front of the team. The argument remained between themselves – coaches and players, no witnesses. Hummels and Tuchel worked together at BVB for around a year, and the defender left the club in 2016. The time was “rough at times”. But Hummels takes it in a sporty way: “I don’t think it’s a bad thing if you have an argument. Even as a player with the coach.”
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Despite the friction, his assessment of Tuchel as a coach is clear. “No coach had such a clear idea of offensive football, so many ideas about how he could improve players individually,” said Hummels. He cited specific games that Tuchel had decided tactically as evidence – “I found that impressive.” When Kerner brought up the comparison to Jürgen Klopp, Hummels clearly separated the two.
Klopp – Defense, robustness. Tuchel – football, football, football. “Thomas Tuchel had a lot of footballing approaches.” Hummels ended his career in 2025 and will be in front of the camera for MagentaTV at the 2026 World Cup. And his relationship with Tuchel? Apparently it’s been clarified a long time ago: “I have a very, very high opinion of him and although it cracked a few times back then, nothing has changed.” (fpt)