Gary Lineker suggests Thomas Tuchel is ‘German spy’ after England World Cup exit | OneFootball

Former England star jokes that current head coach has “infiltrated” the Three Lions

Gary Lineker has joked that Thomas Tuchel is a “German spy” while criticising the England manager on The Rest Is Football.

The 65-year-old was speaking on the Netflix TV show version of the popular podcast after England were knocked out of the World Cup in a 2-1 defeat to Argentina in Atlanta in the US on Wednesday.

The former England striker said: “I just wonder whether Thomas Tuchel’s like a German spy, we’ve been infiltrated, I think Germany, because they’re not very good at the moment, they can’t get past the group stage, and I think they’ve sent in someone.

“I think the most frustrating thing as well was this team, they had a chance if they’d gone for it, and they just got it I think so wrong.

Thomas Tuchel in Atlanta

“And is he the right man to take us forward? Well, I mean, I never ask for anyone to get sacked, I don’t think it’s the thing to do, but it depends on him and how he feels, and also how the FA feels.”

Former Arsenal and France midfielder Patrick Vieira, who was a guest on the show, interjected and told Lineker: "I believe in stability, After you make a decision with Tuchel... I think it would be mad, for me, to sack him or to change the coach.

"I think that was his first big tournament and of course there are some positive and negative and the frustration is going to be there because you are out like that. But how can he build from that?

"I think he will learn a lot about the players because he lived with them, he saw the players in a good moment and a really difficult period. He will learn a lot about the group but you need to give him at least the Euros and to see how far they can go.

"With the way they competed in this World Cup, there is no doubt that the Euros. England are going to win it, not to go to the semi-final, they are to go to win it. I think it will be mad for the FA to change that."