Tuchel: Bellingham better if he plays with a bit of rage

Syndicated reporting provided by Stats Perform and reviewed by the SoccerNews editorial team.

Thomas Tuchel claimed “it’s better” for England if Jude Bellingham “plays with a bit of rage” as he did against Spain.

Despite losing 3-2 to Spain in their Nations League opener, Bellingham impressed in midfield against the likes of Rodri and Fabian Ruiz.

As well as assisting Anthony Gordon at Wembley Stadium and winning a penalty, which Harry Kane missed, Bellingham created a match-high five chances and competed in the most duels (15).

Bellingham has been involved in nine goals in his last nine international appearances (seven goals, two assists), more than any other England player since the start of the 2026 World Cup.

The midfielder was involved in a heated exchange of words with Real Madrid team-mate Marc Cucurella during their clash with Spain, and Tuchel believes such situations can help Bellingham.

“He likes that,” Tuchel said ahead of England’s Nations League encounter with Czechia on Tuesday. “He gets better if that happens.

“It’s better if he plays with a bit of rage. It’s what he does. I think sometimes he is looking for these moments to get his fire going.”

— England (@England) September 27, 2026

And when asked about the encounter between Bellingham and Cucurella, Tuchel added: “I think he doesn’t know any team-mates when he is in the national team.

“He wants to win. He doesn’t know any team-mates. He is still friends with them but not for the 90 minutes.”

England have lost just one of their last nine meetings with Czechia in all competitions (W6 D2), though it was on their last visit to the nation in October 2019 (2-1).

Only three other teams have won consecutive home matches against England this century: Spain (a run of three), France (two) and Sweden (two).

England have lost two of their last three matches in all competitions, as many as in their previous 23 combined. They have not lost consecutive games since June/September 2022, also in the Nations League against Hungary and Italy.

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