Tuchel refuses to rule out picking Man City players for England if club is relegated

Thomas Tuchel has refused to rule out picking Manchester City players for England if the club are relegated as a consequence of being found guilty of breaching Premier League financial rules.

An independent commission confirmed on Tuesday that City had arranged “sham contracts” to circumvent financial regulations across nine seasons between 2009-10 and 2017-18, finding them guilty of nearly all of the 115 charges brought against them. City, currently top of the Premier League, have reiterated their innocence and lodged an appeal, claiming they hold an “irrefutable body of evidence” to challenge the verdict.

The sanction has yet to be determined, but having inflated revenue and concealed costs by more than £900m over the period, an extremely severe punishment is widely anticipated — potentially a massive points deduction or expulsion from the top flight. The appeal process timeline remains unclear, though City could receive their sanction before it concludes, as Everton and Nottingham Forest experienced in their own cases.

Speaking at a press conference ahead of England’s Nations League fixture against Croatia, Tuchel was asked whether a City player competing in a lower division would still be eligible for international selection.

“There is always a possibility,” he said. “I would always try to pick the best team for the camp, occasion, the tournament. I will never rule out that because they don’t play in the top flight in their country. We need to look at it case by case.”

Marc Guehi, Nico O’Reilly and Elliot Anderson were the City players included in Tuchel’s current squad, with Phil Foden absent once again after also missing World Cup selection. O’Reilly has since withdrawn through injury.

Tuchel acknowledged the verdict has become a talking point throughout the England camp, though he was careful to keep his own views measured.

“Of course, the players talk about it. City players talk about it. We talk with them but only briefly. They are ready to go tomorrow. But of course, it’s a big topic in the camp,” he said. “I am glad to be not that voice. No one needs my half knowledge on the topic.”