Clement Turpin, the French referee appointed to officiate England's opening World Cup match against Croatia on Wednesday, was once branded a "Grade E" official by England head coach Thomas Tuchel.

The clash between Tuchel and Turpin dates back to April 2023, when Turpin sent Tuchel to the stands during Bayern Munich's UEFA Champions League quarter-final second leg against Manchester City in Germany. Turpin showed Tuchel two yellow cards — the equivalent of a red — removing him from the technical area entirely.

A controversial night in Germany

That second leg was a turbulent evening for Turpin. He produced five yellow cards in the first half alone, before showing Bayern Munich defender Dayot Upamecano a straight red card for a last-man challenge on Erling Haaland. However, a video assistant referee (VAR) review determined Haaland was offside, and the decision was overturned.

Bayern Munich crashed out of the competition on a 4-1 aggregate scoreline, and Tuchel had no intention of hiding his fury afterward. "Two things couldn't keep up with the level — the pitch wasn't in good condition and also the referee, unfortunately, was Grade E," he said.

"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."

Bellingham's run-in with Turpin

England midfielder Jude Bellingham has also encountered Turpin's commanding style. During a Champions League match involving Real Madrid, Turpin physically pushed Bellingham away from the penalty spot after Bellingham attempted to distract Bayern Munich's Harry Kane as he prepared to take a penalty.

Europe's finest — despite the controversy

Despite those flashpoints, Turpin is widely considered among the best referees on the continent. He took charge of the 2021 UEFA Europa League final and the 2022 UEFA Champions League final — two of the most prestigious appointments in club football.

Turpin also featured at Euro 2024, where he oversaw England's 0-0 draw with Slovenia — meaning Wednesday's encounter with Croatia will not be Tuchel's first experience of a Turpin-refereed England match, just his first in charge of the team.