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The Guardian World1 min read
Tuchel's national anthem complaints lead to Fifa moving photographers
TL;DR
England head coach Thomas Tuchel successfully requested Fifa to relocate photographers during national anthems, allowing him a clearer view of his team. Fifa has now adjusted its policy to permit coaches to move for better visibility.
Key points
- Thomas Tuchel won a battle with Fifa regarding photographer placement.
- Photographers were blocking Tuchel's view of his team during anthems.
- Fifa has changed its policy to improve visibility for coaching staff.
England head coach Thomas Tuchel has won a battle with Fifa to get photographers moved away from the bench during the national anthems.
Tuchel said he "could not see my team" before Wednesday's 4-2 win over Croatia, with a wall of photographers blocking his view to the pitch.
After taking on board feedback from a number of people, including Tuchel, Fifa has altered its policy and put in place a compromise used at other tournaments.
Photographers may be grouped in a huddle, potentially closer to the halfway line.
The coaching staff will no longer be required to remain in front of the dugouts, instead they will be permitted to move to the left or the right of the photographers for an unobstructed view of the squads around the centre circle.
However it is unclear if Fifa's changes will assuage Tuchel's concerns. BBC Sport understands that the Football Association is still awaiting discussions with football's world governing body over the issue.
The Group L game in Dallas was Tuchel's first as a World Cup manager but he revealed the occasion, particularly the emotion of the national anthems, was spoiled.
"I have to tell you something. I'm begging Fifa to change the position of the photographers in the national anthem, because I could not see my team," Tuchel said.
"It was a very special moment, and I was standing in front of a wall of 50 photographers and I could not see one single player. It ruined a little bit my experience."
The AT&T Stadium usually serves as the home of the Dallas Cowboys, with the NFL field too small for World Cup matches.
The surface had to be raised 1.2m to be able to fit in a football pitch, which meant part of the sidelines were lost - resulting in limited space for the coaches and the photographers during the national anthems.
Fifa first deployed the new approach during Thursday's Group A fixture between Czech Republic and South Africa in Atlanta.
Figure caption,
Highlights: England beat Croatia 4-2 in thriller
Figure caption,
Tuchel upset by photographers encroachment
Q&A
Why did Thomas Tuchel complain about photographers during the national anthem?
Thomas Tuchel complained because photographers were blocking his view of the pitch, making it difficult for him to see his team.
What changes did Fifa implement in response to Tuchel's complaints?
Fifa moved photographers away from the bench and allowed coaching staff to position themselves for an unobstructed view during national anthems.
How did the changes affect the positioning of photographers during matches?
Photographers are now grouped closer to the halfway line, allowing coaches to move freely for better visibility of their teams.
