Gary Neville has pushed back against Thomas Tuchel's claim that England's footballing "DNA" was to blame for their World Cup semi-final exit to Argentina, according to Sky Sports.
Tuchel, whose remarks came in the wake of the defeat, appeared to suggest that deep-rooted issues within English football culture contributed to the loss. But Neville says he takes serious issue with that framing, arguing it unfairly pins the result on some inherent national flaw rather than acknowledging the specifics of the match itself.
The former Manchester United and England defender, speaking in his usual outspoken pundit style, made clear he wasn't willing to let the "DNA" narrative go unchallenged, seeing it as a lazy or misleading explanation for a single-game defeat against a strong Argentina side.
While Sky Sports' report doesn't detail Neville's full argument point by point, it's evident he views Tuchel's comments as an oversimplification — one that risks scapegoating English football's identity rather than examining tactical or situational factors behind the semi-final loss.