England Coach Hasselbaink Involved in Heated Tunnel Argument with Official
England coach Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink found himself in a fiery exchange with the fourth official during half-time of England’s friendly match against Brazil. Hasselbaink, who joined Gareth Southgate’s coaching staff last year, was unhappy with Brazil’s combative play and took the opportunity to express his frustration with the officiating.
Throughout the first half, Hasselbaink watched as Brazilian midfielders Lucas Paqueta and Bruno Guimaraes committed numerous fouls. As the teams went into the break level, Hasselbaink let loose on the fourth official. Channel 4’s Kelly Somers reported on the incident, stating, “Well I can tell you that it might have been feisty on the pitch, it was exactly that in the tunnel as well. I am sat behind the Brazil bench, they were animated throughout the first half. England coach Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink followed the fourth official down the tunnel. They were deep in conversation. I’m not multi-lingual, it wasn’t in English. But Danilo also got involved. Hasselbaink’s message was ‘one, two, three, four fouls, too many fouls’.”
Despite Hasselbaink’s protestations, Paqueta remained on the pitch until the 71st minute before being replaced by Fulham’s Andreas Pereira. The substitution was met with loud boos from the crowd. Hasselbaink, who previously managed Royal Antwerp, Burton Albion, Queens Park Rangers, and Northampton Town, joined Southgate’s coaching staff in March 2023.
Speaking about Hasselbaink’s appointment at the time, Southgate said, “He’s someone I know from having played with him at Middlesbrough and I know how curious he is about his coaching and he took that very seriously in his period managing. Because he’s managed as well, but also has a keen eye on the attacking players, he’s going to provide a really good foil for us in terms of different views and opinions. He’s got a great personality among the group and he can be challenging and demanding, and I think we need that around our coaching team. We need that for the players, we need the whole group to demand more and more of each other. To get to where we have been difficult, but to get to the next bit is the biggest challenge of all and we’re hoping Jimmy can help to take us there.”
In the match against Brazil, England suffered a 1-0 defeat with Endrick scoring the winning goal in the 80th minute. Despite the loss, Southgate remained optimistic, saying, “I was pleased, clearly don’t like losing football matches but there were lots of very good individual performances from players who have hardly played for England. Our more regular players were very good. With 15 minutes to go, we’ve managed to see a lot of new players, the difference in the end was one moment and that is the ruthlessness of football at this level.”
The incident involving Hasselbaink and the fourth official highlights the passion and intensity of international football matches. As coaches and players strive for success, emotions can run high, leading to heated exchanges on and off the pitch. While it is important for professionals to maintain composure, it is also a reminder that the sport is not just a game but a highly competitive arena where every decision matters.