England’s head coach Thomas Tuchel spoke with reporters before the semifinal match against Argentina, expressing admiration for Spain’s recent performance, which saw them defeat France 2-0.
Having watched the first half of the France-Spain match prior to his press conference, Tuchel had nothing but praise for Luis de la Fuente’s squad.
Tuchel: Spain’s Confidence is Impressive
“It was impressive. The bigger the stage and the greater the tension, the calmer and more confident the Spaniards played. It’s very impressive, congratulations on their achievement,” Tuchel told Marca.
The German coach concluded, “It seems that the Spaniards cannot lose any knockout matches. What Luis de la Fuente is doing with this group is extraordinary. They possess a well-defined playing style. I witnessed part of it today and was greatly impressed. Congratulations to them and their technical staff. A brilliant achievement, and I hope we can follow in their footsteps.”
Tuchel on Lionel Messi: A Unique Talent
Tuchel then shifted focus to the challenge of facing Lionel Messi in the impending match. “It’s incredible how he leads this team. There are no words. Who am I to comment? I am left speechless by such an achievement. He is simply the leader and key player for any team he plays for,” he stated.
He noted the cohesion within the Argentine squad, highlighting their tournament experience. “They enjoy playing in the midfield with short passes, always searching for space. When Messi has the ball, the movement begins,” Tuchel added.
He emphasized the technical execution involved in passing to Messi, pointing out the significant challenges his team faces. “We are here to play the semifinal in our style and impose our game. We understand the difficulty of the challenge, but we are ready,” said the England coach.
Tuchel Believes No Team is Invincible
Tuchel expressed his belief that “no one is invincible. They have the necessary mentality and unity. They are very competitive players with a lot of experience at every position. It’s rare to dominate a tournament without any hurdles.
Overcoming difficulties is normal, but that reveals more about their strengths than their weaknesses. We will prepare for the best version of Argentina. Any team in the world can be beaten.”
On marking Messi, Tuchel mused, “What if we used an old-school marking method? I’m not sure if we’ll go that route, but it crossed my mind. Everyone knows where he wants to appear. If you analyze matches, you see things faster. The ball reaches him, and he finds the goal. I’ve detected some patterns in his games, but if that pattern is broken, they’ll find a new one. It’s very unique to play against the reigning champions and Lionel Messi.”
