Tuchel defends his decisions in the World Cup, La Liga news and the Formula 1 race in Qatar

German Thomas Tuchel said that England was “waiting for death” in its defeat to Argentina in the 2026 World Cup semi-finals, at a time when the “Three Lions” coach continued to defend his controversial substitutions.

Tuchel is preparing to announce the England national team roster, in his first match since the painful end of his World Cup career.

However, before the European Nations League matches against Spain, Croatia and Czechia, the coach revealed that the pain of the team’s failure to reach the first World Cup final since 1966 still haunts him.

England squandered the lead given to them by Anthony Gordon, after late goals from Enso Fernandes and Lautaro Martinez sealed Argentina's 2-1 win.

Tuchel was widely criticized for giving up the initiative to Argentina, through a series of defensive substitutions in the second half.

But the German coach felt that he had to intervene, because England was unable to deal with Argentina's changes, which were much more offensive than his changes, in light of its search for victory.

“You can try to kill me here,” he said in a documentary on the England national team’s app. “But this is my wound, not yours. No one is in more pain than me, and no one wanted to win more than me.”

He added, "They can torture you endlessly, and you keep thinking if I had made different substitutions, we would have won the match, but you simply don't know that."

Tuchel explained that a combination of the obvious fatigue of the England players on the one hand, and the success of the bet on defending with five defenders during his team's victories against Mexico and Norway on the other hand, influenced his decision to maintain the lead in the score.

The English Football Association signed the former coach of Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain in France, and Bayern Munich in Germany, due to his extensive experience and successes at the club level.

He had promised to make England play more attacking football than it was under his predecessor, Gareth Southgate.

But the team, influenced by Tuchel's conservative substitutions, fell backwards and collapsed under the increasing pressure against Argentina.

"When I look back and think about what happened to my decision-making process, there was a pivotal moment, that we conceded a very dangerous opportunity just before the water break," he said.

He continued, "And I thought: We will not last. This is waiting for death. We do not possess the ball, we do not defend well, and we do not defend correctly with the 4-4-2 plan. We need help."

He continued, "I think that based on what I saw and on the experience and information and the level of madness of Argentina, which was making one attacking change after another, that was the solution I found to the problem. This is the role of the coach in intervening. I am trying to help. You do not carry out something out of arrogance or for any other reason like that. You are just trying to help."

Atletico Madrid achieved a huge victory over Osasuna, with a score of 4-0, in the sixth round of the Spanish League, on Wednesday.

The Madrid team was satisfied with a single goal in the first half after 24 minutes, scored by Canadian Jonathan David, who joined from Italian Juventus this summer.

In the second half, another newcomer, Lee Kang-in, added the second half in the 54th minute.

Robin Le Normand and Alex Baena increased Atletico's advantage by scoring the third and fourth goals in the 63rd and 82nd minutes.

With this victory, Atletico Madrid raises its score to 13 points in third place, raising the morale of its players and Argentine coach Diego Simeone before the expected confrontation, when it hosts Real Madrid in the derby, on Sunday.

As for Osasuna, its score froze at 7 points, after a third loss in a row, falling to thirteenth place in the rankings.

At the same time, Sevilla defeated its host Deportivo La Coruna with a score of 1/0, giving the Andalusian team three valuable points away from home.

Miguel Sierra scored Sevilla's only goal in the 52nd minute.

On the other hand, La Coruña's mission to compensate for the result was complicated after its player, Jose Tasende, was sent off in the 59th minute.

Thus, Sevilla raises its score to 13 points in fourth place, lagging behind Atletico Madrid on goal difference, while Deportivo La Coruna suffered its first loss after its promotion this season, freezing its score at 9 points in seventh place.

Losail International Circuit announced, on Wednesday, that the 2027 Qatar Grand Prix for Formula 1 car races will be held during the period from the third to the fifth of December next year.

The Qatar Race represents the twenty-third (penultimate) round of the World Championship, which includes 24 races, according to the official calendar for the 2027 season, which witnesses the return of the Turkish and Portuguese prizes after an absence of several years.

Losail Circuit confirmed the return of the Sprint race as part of the Qatar Tour in 2027, becoming one of only 10 rounds to host this format during the season.

The speed race will be held on Saturday for a distance of approximately 100 kilometers, with a points system independent of the main Grand Prix race scheduled for Sunday.

Losail Circuit began hosting Formula 1 competitions after Qatar joined the World Championship calendar in 2021. It also hosts a number of the most prominent motorsport championships, including the MotoGP World Championship and the FIA ​​World Endurance Racing Championship.

The length of the Losail Circuit track is 38.5 km, and includes 16 turns and a number of overtaking areas, in addition to an advanced lighting system that allows racing to be held at night.

It is expected that the Qatar Grand Prix will gain great importance in the competition for the drivers' and manufacturers' titles, given that it is held in the penultimate round of the season, which makes its points decisive before the conclusion of the championship.

Losail Circuit explained that the date of launching tickets for the 2027 edition will be announced later, while tickets for the 2026 Qatar Grand Prix are still available through the circuit’s official website.