England head coach, Thomas Tuchel, has criticised the use of hydration breaks at the World Cup, saying they disrupt the flow and identity of matches.
52-year-old Tuchel spoke ahead of England’s second Group L game against Ghana in Boston on Tuesday (21:00 BST), where rain and cooler conditions are expected.
England supporters jeered the breaks during the first half of the 4-2 win over Croatia in Dallas, even though the match was played in an air-conditioned stadium.
The breaks are set to continue in Boston regardless of weather conditions, but Tuchel said their growing use is affecting how games are played.
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“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.
“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,” Tuchel said.
FIFA previously removed a second-half hydration break in France’s 3-0 win over Iraq after play was halted for more than two hours due to adverse weather.
Tuchel added that while the breaks can help coaches communicate with players, they reduce momentum and continuity in matches.
“I like it as a coach, of course, because it is good to have influence and have my team together.
“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,” he said.
