Kane says City verdict did not distract England as a team

England captain Harry Kane said discussion of Manchester City’s reported financial-rule verdict did not distract the national team after its 3-2 defeat to Spain, while manager Thomas Tuchel said he could imagine the ruling may have affected City-connected players. The match’s errors and the possible influence of the club case remain separate questions: the players involved have not publicly confirmed that the verdict affected their performance. Kane said the issue had been discussed but that England players set club matters aside while representing the national team. He said the team would address club business when players returned to their clubs. His comments reject the suggestion of a team-wide distraction, but do not establish how individual players felt. Tuchel said the news had not distracted him, though he could imagine it had affected Manchester City players. Former Manchester United captain Roy Keane also argued that players with City ties would have been affected, pointing to mistakes during the match. That assessment was Keane’s, and the available accounts include no direct confirmation from the players concerned.