Thomas Tuchel explains tactical call to remove Declan Rice against Norway

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·13 de julio de 2026

Thomas Tuchel explains tactical call to remove Declan Rice against Norway

Declan Rice was replaced at half-time during England’s 2-1 victory against Norway in the World Cup quarter-final, and Thomas Tuchel has explained the reasoning behind the decision.

The midfielder has been dealing with injury problems over the last few months and has continued to manage his condition while trying to contribute for the team. His workload has often required careful management, meaning substitutions involving him are not unusual.

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Tuchel explains Rice substitution

However, the decision to remove Rice against Norway was not related solely to his physical condition. Tuchel has revealed that tactical considerations also influenced the change as England looked to improve their attacking approach during a difficult match.

England eventually secured their place in the World Cup semi-final after a demanding contest against Norway. Tuchel had to make important decisions throughout the game, including changes involving both Rice and Noni Madueke, as he attempted to find a way to help his team progress.

Tactical changes prove important

Tuchel explained that he wanted Bukayo Saka on the pitch and believed England needed to become more offensive after falling behind. As reported by Talk Sport, he said:

“I wanted to have Bukayo on the field to finish it. I was not happy with Noni’s performance.

“It was just a one on one and we wanted to get a bit more offensive. I took the decision when we were 1 0 down.

“I didn’t want to take it back just because of the goal. I wanted to send the signal that we become more offensive. So we needed to take one midfielder off.

“We knew that Declan was struggling. He gave a green light to continue maybe until the next water break, but then I thought if we go 120 and I don’t have Elliot on the field, we will get into trouble in substitutions later.

“So we took a hard decision and took Declan off then, which paid off because Elliot could play the full 120, otherwise we would have been in trouble.”

The decision ultimately worked in England’s favour, with Rice being managed carefully while Elliot Anderson was able to continue for the full match. Tuchel believes the change helped the team avoid problems later in the contest.

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