Bayern Munich boss Thomas Tuchel SLAMS ‘Grade E’ Referee after Champions League exit vs Man City

Bayern Munich manager Thomas Tuchel has labeled Clement Turpin a ‘Class E’ referee following Manchester City’s departure from the German squad in the Champions League.

Pep Guardiola’s side reached the semi-finals with a 4–1 aggregate victory after drawing 1–1 in Bavaria in the second leg, with Erling Haaland and Joshua Kimmich on the scoresheet.

Always an animated figure on the sidelines, Tuchel was furious on a number of occasions, especially on Wednesday, and was eventually sent off for his behaviour.

The manager said he was ‘very pleased’ with his side’s performance despite failing to overcome a 3-0 deficit from the first leg, but had some grievances about the game as a whole.

He felt there were: “Two things couldn’t keep up with the level: the field was not in good condition and the referee was unfortunately class E.”

He later named umpire Clement Turpin ‘Grade E’ for his performance in the game

There were some strange refereeing moments in the match, which inspired Tuchel’s antics that eventually saw him sent to the stands.

In the first half, Turpin handed out five yellow cards and Dayot Upamecano showed a straight red for a last man challenge on Erling Haaland. It was then withdrawn because the striker was offside.

He also delayed the start of the match due to a faulty earphone, and even Rio Ferdinand admitted the referee was ‘not his thing’ on BT Sport at half-time.

Apart from the referee problem, Tuchel was happy with his side’s performance, he continued: “We can play at this level, but we can also play at another level, unfortunately we saw that recently.”

“The willingness we need to positively show, improve and support the team and to show this greed and hunger to achieve our goals that we have here at FC Bayern. This is what you agree with when you sign for this club, but we need more support.

“I think everyone is giving their best, but it may not seem like it, but I believe we will get there with more confidence and calmness to show some consistency. It will take time, but we want to be ready for Saturday and show our character on the field.’

Bayern have been hit and miss in the former Chelsea boss’s six games.

Since beating title rivals Borussia Dortmund in his first game in charge, they have won once in three domestic matches, as well as the UCL defeat to City.

Turpin dealt five yellow cards in the first half and sent Dayot Upamecano off at one point, but reversed the decision as the player he had fouled was offside.

Bayern Munich are now out of the Champions League, winning just once in their last five games

Erling Haaland’s 48th goal of the season meant City are still on course for an unlikely treble

They remain two points clear of the top of the Bundesliga after an equally patchy run of results for Dortmund, but are hoping for a more convincing performance when they travel to Mainz on Saturday.

As for Man City, they seem to have come into shape at the perfect time as they have an unlikely treble in sight.

Before Wednesday’s draw, they had won 10 in all competitions and are now just four points behind Arsenal in the Premier League with a game in hand.

They are also still fighting in the FA Cup where their next game is against Sheffield United in the semi-final.