Tuchel's photographer complaint forces Fifa to change national anthem rules at World Cup

Thomas Tuchel has won an unlikely off-pitch battle at the World Cup, prompting Fifa to revise its national anthem protocols after the England head coach complained that a wall of photographers blocked his view of his players during the pre-match ceremony in Dallas.

The change came less than 24 hours after England’s 4-2 victory over Croatia at AT&T Stadium on Wednesday, a result that gave Tuchel’s tenure its most emphatic statement yet. But it was what happened before kick-off that the German manager felt compelled to raise publicly.

“I have to tell you something, I am begging Fifa to change the position of the photographers in the national anthem because I could not see my team,” Tuchel said after the match. “I was waiting for this moment. It was a very, very special moment today and I was standing in front of a wall of 50 photographers, half a metre away, and I could not see one single player. It ruined a little bit my experience.”

Tuchel described the occasion as one he had long anticipated, adding: “When I was young and when I started coaching, this was too big to dream of this kind of occasion.”

Fifa moved quickly. The Press Association understands the governing body will now permit coaches to position themselves to the left or right of the assembled photographers during national anthems, guaranteeing an unobstructed sightline to their players. The adjustment took effect for Thursday’s match between the Czech Republic and South Africa.

Photographers will not be relocated entirely, but may be grouped more tightly to accommodate the new arrangement. The option for coaches to adjust their standing position will apply at all World Cup venues globally, not just in Dallas, where AT&T Stadium’s limited space between the touchline and dugouts had made the problem particularly acute.