Thomas Tuchel has a potential problem on his hands ahead of this summer’s World Cup.
And it involves two of England’s most important players.
According to The Telegraph, there has been tension between Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham, with both players regarding themselves as the ‘dominant figure’ and natural successor to Harry Kane as captain.
Arsenal fans might remember that the rivalry has already spilled over on the pitch.
During last season’s Champions League quarter-final win over Real Madrid at the Bernabeu, tensions boiled over between the two.
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Bellingham slid into a tackle with Rice in the second half, the pair got tangled up, and Bellingham grabbed Rice’s leg to prevent him from escaping.
Earlier in the match, Bellingham had taken issue with a strong challenge from Rice that sent him to the turf.
The two squared up and exchanged angry words before match officials and teammates stepped in to separate them.
It seemed a minor incident at the time, given the stakes of the match, but in the context of The Telegraph’s revelations about their relationship in the England camp, it does make you wonder.
The tension between Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham is no surprise
With the World Cup now just weeks away, it is a dynamic Tuchel will need to manage carefully.
It is perhaps unsurprising given the characters involved. Rice is described by those around him as a “vibe controller”, someone whose influence on a dressing room is as significant off the ball as it is on it.
At Arsenal, he has surpassed Gabriel Magalhaes to become the team’s third captain behind Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka, and is a key figure in the club’s leadership group.
The Telegraph also reveals that winning the Ballon d’Or is a genuine ambition for Rice, which shows just how much he backs himself and how high he has set his sights.
His mentality was summed up when he mouthed ‘it’s not done’ to his Arsenal teammates after the defeat at the Etihad, and he was right.
And it is that drive that has driven him to become arguably the best midfielder in the world, a title he will contest with PSG’s Vitinha in Saturday’s Champions League final.
The Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham dynamic could affect England at the World Cup
Bellingham is a complete midfielder and a serial winner at Real Madrid, while Rice is the engine and the heartbeat of the best club side in England.
Both are mental giants who believe they should be at the centre of everything, and both are probably right.
Thomas Tuchel will be under no illusion that he needs to harness that competitive edge and not let it become a distraction.
England will be hoping this doesn’t become a story that follows them throughout the tournament, and it probably won’t.
Bellingham and Rice are the ultimate professionals. And that hunger, when driven in the same direction, could be exactly what England need to go deep into the tournament.
But the dynamic between two players who both see themselves as the heir to Kane’s throne is one worth watching, and Tuchel will know better than anyone that managing big personalities is as important as any tactical decision he makes this summer.
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