Clement Turpin Appointed Referee for England vs. Croatia World Cup Opener

Clement Turpin has been appointed referee for England's opening World Cup game against Croatia on Wednesday - and was once labelled a "Grade E" official by head coach Thomas Tuchel.

The Frenchman showed then Bayern Munich boss Tuchel two yellow cards in the German club's Champions League quarter-final second leg against Manchester City in April 2023, sending him to the stands.

Turpin produced five yellow cards in the first half at Allianz Arena and a straight red for Bayern defender Dayot Upamecano for a last-man challenge on Erling Haaland, but an offside call from the video assistant referee (VAR) reversed the decision.

Bayern's 4-1 aggregate loss prompted Tuchel to criticise Turpin post-match, saying: "Two things couldn't keep up with the level - the pitch wasn't in good condition and also the referee, unfortunately, was Grade E.

"I'd give him a one out of 10. He was absolutely terrible. It's unbelievable at this level.

"He was whistling for everything and anything. Everything was against us.

"In the end, we were never in a position to turn things around with three men against us. That's a fact."

England midfielder Jude Bellingham has also seen Turpin's no-nonsense approach first-hand.

While playing for Real Madrid, Bellingham was pushed away from the penalty spot by Turpin while trying to put Bayern's Harry Kane off taking a penalty.

Despite his run-ins with Tuchel and Bellingham, Turpin is regarded as one of Europe's best referees - taking charge of the 2021 Europa League final and 2022 Champions League final.

Turpin was also selected to officiate at Euro 2024, where he took charge of England's 0-0 draw with Slovenia.