Calm heads are set to prevail at Wembley Stadium next month as French referee Clement Turpin steps up to take charge of England's crunch World Cup qualifier against Croatia – but eyebrows will undoubtedly be raised by the appointment given his contentious past with Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel.
Tuchel, still fuming from a Champions League quarter-final dust-up with Manchester City in 2023, unleashed a blistering verbal assault on Turpin's performance, branding it 'Grade E' and giving him a scathing one out of ten scorecard. The Bayern Munich boss was left seething after five first-half yellows and an initial red card for Dayot Upamecano were handed out – a decision later overturned by VAR.
Yet, Turpin remains one of Europe's most respected officials, with a glittering CV that includes officiating the 2021 Europa League final and the 2022 Champions League showpiece. He also kept the peace in England's goalless draw against Slovenia at Euro 2024, ensuring their passage to the knockout stages.
With his wealth of experience and calm under pressure, Turpin has a reputation for handling high-profile players and intense match situations with ease – as seen when he expertly diffused a heated exchange between Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane during the Champions League. But now, all eyes will be on him to maintain that composure in one of England's most significant fixtures of their World Cup qualifying campaign.