Thomas Tuchel stands on the verge of becoming only the fourth manager to reach a World Cup final with a nation other than his own, a feat last achieved by Ernst Happel with the Netherlands in 1978. Standing in his way are Argentina, the defending champions who have reached the tournament’s last four for the third time in four editions.
Asked whether the intense historical rivalry between the two nations would serve as extra motivation for Wednesday’s semi-final, Tuchel dismissed the notion. “We don’t use it as fuel,” he told BBC Sport. “We know why we’re here – we know what we want. We were never shy of expecting that from us, of saying it, of dreaming it. We’re in the semi-final – we arrive very hungry and want the next win.”
Political tensions, particularly stemming from the Falklands War, have long coloured the fixture. Following Argentina’s round-of-16 victory over Egypt, footage emerged of players singing a chant referencing the islands. Tuchel, however, was keen to depoliticise the occasion. “We respect our opponent, but we don’t dip into historic events. We don’t make it bigger than it is,” he said. “It is a big football match and a big occasion. We are very excited and grateful, but very hungry and ready to go. It’s a big rivalry and it’s two big football nations who love football.”
The match will also mark the first time an England side has faced Lionel Messi on the international stage. Tuchel offered glowing praise for the Argentina captain. “How he carries the team is absolutely incredible – there are no words,” he said. “In this tournament he is just the leader, and the key player in any team he plays. When Messi has the ball, the movement starts. The technical delivery of Messi is on the highest level.”
Acknowledging the tactical challenge, Tuchel added: “There is a lot to take care of, but we are here to play our way in the semi-final. We are here to impose our style, our strengths. A lot of coaches have tried [to stop Messi]. He seems to always have another gear and another solution. He’s unique. We know his quality. We know how big the obstacle is. We know how big the ask is.”
Away from the tactical pressures of a prolonged summer camp, Tuchel revealed a simple method for decompression. “Sometimes you just go on a bike, and you need a big parking lot and an ice cream in your hand,” he said. “For 15 minutes, you feel like 15 years old. 15 not 50! You enjoy your evening in a warm summer for 15 minutes with an ice cream, and you reconnect to that beauty of that feeling which we all have inside of us.”
