England manager Thomas Tuchel has admitted he dislikes the contentious hydration pauses being used at the World Cup.
The 52-year-old spoke ahead of England’s second Group L match against Ghana in Boston on Tuesday (21:00 BST), with rain and cool conditions expected.
England supporters booed the stoppages during the first half of their opener against Croatia in Dallas, despite the game being played under a roof in an air-conditioned venue.
The pauses will continue in Boston regardless of the weather, but Tuchel shared his concerns about their influence on matches.
“They interrupt and alter the identity of a football match far more than I expected. I’ve had hydration breaks before when it was really, really hot and necessary, but those were shorter,” Tuchel said.
“They were shorter and only used in a few games. For fairness here, it’s now done in every match for every team.
“It almost turns the game into four quarters, and I think it changes the character of the match more than I anticipated.”