Thomas Tuchel: 'Luck was on our side'

Despite advancing to the final four, England's national team coach Thomas Tuchel was critical of his team's performance, stating he was not satisfied "in any sense." He acknowledged that the team had secured a "great result" but felt they made the task "very, very difficult" for themselves.

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We made the job very, very difficult for ourselves. The result is great. We are in the final four. That's tremendous, but I am not satisfied with the performance in any sense.

Tuchel pointed to a lack of quality in play, describing the team as "disorganized," making "too many technical errors," and not being "fast enough." He suggested that luck played a significant role in their victory, stating, "We were lucky today."

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We were disorganized, made too many technical errors, weren't fast enough, and didn't make the necessary repetitions. We were lucky today.

The German coach rejected the idea that the issue was purely about mentality, insisting it was about "quality" and the need to "play better." He did, however, praise several players who came on as substitutes, highlighting Reece James's "excellent" performance and calling Jude Bellingham a "world-class player" who delivers consistently.

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It's not about mentality. It's quality. We need to play better.

Looking ahead to the semi-finals, Tuchel stated, "We will be better. We have to be." He added that the team would "enjoy this moment" before preparing for the next stage, acknowledging they would need "everything" in the coming days.

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There's not much to say. He does it every match. He's a world-class player.