Tuchel Questions World Cup Hydration Breaks Despite Coaching Benefits

England head coach Thomas Tuchel has voiced concerns over the controversial hydration breaks being used at the World Cup, arguing that they disrupt the rhythm and character of matches despite offering coaches more opportunities to influence games.

Thomas Tuchel, 52, spoke ahead of England’s second Group L fixture against Ghana in Boston on Tuesday, where cooler temperatures and rain are expected. Hydration breaks, however, will remain in place regardless of the weather conditions.

The stoppages have already become a talking point among England supporters. During England’s opening match against Croatia in Dallas, fans jeered when play was halted for a hydration break, even though the game was staged under a roof in an air-conditioned stadium.

Tuchel admitted the impact of the breaks has been greater than he initially anticipated.

“I think that it interrupts and changes the identity of a football match much more than I thought. I had hydration breaks before when it was really, really hot and needed, but they were shorter,” Tuchel said.

“They were shorter and they were just in a few matches. In the interests of fairness here, it is now done in every match for every team.

“It breaks the match almost in four quarters. And I think it changes the characteristic of the match more than I thought.”

The debate around the policy intensified after FIFA opted to scrap the second-half hydration break during France’s 3-0 win over Iraq, following a weather-related delay that suspended the match for more than two hours.

While Tuchel acknowledged the tactical advantages the stoppages provide, he believes they come at a cost to the flow of the game.

“I like it as a coach, of course, because it is good to have influence and have my team together,” he said.

“Overall, though, I think I like football more when it’s played in one go in one half because it builds a momentum. It’s part of the game.

“It’s hard to build momentum, and it’s hard to keep the momentum, when there are breaks.

“If you do not have a break, then it’s just like the battle on the field between the players and the teams. It plays out in a longer period of time. It just adds to the character of the beautiful game.”