Gary Lineker jokes England boss Thomas Tuchel is a ‘German spy’ following World Cup defeat

Gary Lineker has joked that England manager Thomas Tuchel could be a “German spy” following the national team’s exit from the Fifa World Cup . The former Match of the Day presenter made the comments on the Netflix TV version of the podcast The Rest is Football after England ’s 2-1 defeat to Argentina in Atlanta. Lineker, a former England striker, questioned Tuchel’s tactical approach, saying: “I just wonder whether Thomas Tuchel ’s like a German spy, we’ve been infiltrated. “I think Germany, because they’re not very good at the moment, they can’t get past the group stage, and I think they’ve sent in someone.” He quickly added: “I’m joking, I’m joking obviously.” Lineker, 65, then went on to criticise Tuchl for seemingly abandoning his earlier approach. “He said after the Croatia game, he said, ‘if we lose, we’ll lose our way by playing aggressive, attacking football’, he went totally against that, didn’t he?” Lineker said. “I think the most frustrating thing as well was this team, they had a chance if they’d gone for it, and they just got it I think so wrong.” He then pondered Tuchel’s future, saying: “And is he the right man to take us forward? Well, I mean, I never ask for anyone to get sacked, I don’t think it’s the thing to do, but it depends on him and how he feels, and also how the FA feels.” Former Arsenal and France midfielder Patrick Vieira, a guest on the show, interjected to offer a contrasting view, telling Lineker: “You would be mad for me, to sack him or to change the coach.” Gary Lineker during a The Rest is Football live show (PA) Lineker’s earnings from the BBC were recently disclosed in its latest Annual Report . He was paid between £325,000 and £329,999 for the year to March 2026, placing him 15th among the corporation’s highest earners, before departing the BBC in May 2025. This figure represents a significant decrease from his previous salary, which was between £1,350,000 and £1,354,999 in the last annual report. Lineker’s departure from the BBC followed a controversy surrounding an Instagram post he made about Zionism , which included a depiction of a rat – an image historically associated with antisemitic tropes. The sports broadcaster later apologised for the post, explaining that he had not seen the rat visual and did not believe “anyone actually believes I would’ve posted that”. The FA and Thomas Tuchel have been contacted for comment.