Thomas Tuchel admits a guilty conscience towards Manchester City players

After England's 0-2 victory over the Czech Republic on Tuesday, Thomas Tuchel admitted that he had not gotten any news from the Manchester City players who were selected before the match, saying that he now feels a guilty conscience.

Context of the revelation

A few hours before the kick‑off of the Nations League match, the Premier League released the report of an independent commission that examined possible financial fraud committed by Manchester City. The document states that, between 2009 and 2018, the club was found guilty of 114 breaches of the league's regulatory rules.

Reactions and implications

This information shook the football world, notably former Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, who said he is “more than ever behind” his former side. The two selected Manchester City players, Marc Guéhi and Elliot Anderson, were in the starting lineup in Prague, potentially aware of their club's difficulties.

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Thomas Tuchel told the BBC: “Actually, no, because I am simply focused on everything we have to manage here and on preparation. I have a guilty conscience now.” He added that he had not thought to question them because of the workload.

After the match, the two Citizens were photographed at the Fortuna Stadium, listening to an audio message broadcast by Ferran Soriano, Manchester City’s chief executive, who reaffirmed the club’s innocence in what he called a “Premier League conspiracy theory.”

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Journalist Daniel Kolchanov covered the event as part of the World Cup, noting that the situation could unsettle the players regarding their future with England’s runners‑up.