England will face Argentina in the semi-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Ahead of the match, England manager Tuchel attended a press conference to answer media questions. The following is the third part of the press conference.

Mr. Tuchel. Do you think the German mentality has changed the way England play?

My mentality?

No, the German mentality.

The German mentality. I’m not sure. I’ve said many times that when I came to the Premier League, I fell in love with the country's mentality towards sports, especially football. I think the culture of English football, and the culture within the clubs, can maximize the potential of players and shape their character in a very unique way. It is an honor for me to coach this team. It is also an honor to work with these players every day. I will do my best to influence them and help them. As for whether this is related to my German background, I don't know either. All of us are competitive. We are very united and full of respect and admiration for each other. As I said, we still have a strong desire to compete. But that's not enough, we have to prove ourselves in tomorrow's game.

Hello, Thomas. We often talk about players needing to recover after an exhausting match. As a head coach, how difficult is it for you to recover your energy? How do you re-adjust and recover? Also, how is coaching a FIFA World Cup semi-final different from coaching a Champions League semi-final or other major semi-final?

In the Champions League knockout stage, first of all, the second leg is usually more stressful than the first leg, because when you play the first leg, you always know that there is still a second leg to play. So, the FIFA World Cup actually feels more like the second leg of the Champions League, but the difference is that you feel like you are always playing the second leg. Because every game here is a knockout game, and they are one after another, without stopping. This kind of game is very nerve-wracking. Especially as we have come all this way, experiencing red cards, falling behind, VAR reviews, extra time, and so on. We have experienced many ups and downs in games, which really consumes a lot of energy. It is indeed very tiring. We play at high altitudes, and in high temperatures, and we have to travel back and forth constantly. However, for me, this is also a motivation. I feel that these experiences make me full of vitality. I really love all of this, so it gives me energy every day.

Of course, there is also a very realistic side. After the game, you might have to rest for a day to recover, but in fact, you have to start analyzing the next opponent immediately. Because most of the time, there are only three days between two games. Two days before the game, you already want to provide targeted solutions to the team. So, in fact, the day after the game, we have already started analyzing the next game. First of all, I must thank my entire behind-the-scenes team. Their work attitude and professionalism have reached the highest standards. They provide me with a lot of information and various ideas. They are always full of energy and know how to influence and motivate me. I am really grateful for this. Many people silently help me every day, but they often don't get the recognition they deserve.

In addition, I will stick to morning exercises, which I have always done. Sometimes, you just need to ride a bicycle and find a spacious parking lot. Hold an ice cream in your hand. Ride a bicycle for 15 minutes. Then you will feel like you are 15 years old again. It's 15, not 50. Or, you feel like you are back to twelve or thirteen, or fifteen years old again. Riding a bicycle on a warm summer evening while eating an ice cream for 15 minutes. You will find that simple and beautiful feeling that we all have deep inside us again. Sometimes, that's enough.

Hello, Argentina and England have had many classic and historic encounters in FIFA World Cup history. Do you think this history still has an impact on today's players? Or will all this become irrelevant once the game starts?

That's a good question. I would say they are irrelevant. But I'm not entirely sure either. I think the players are very aware of what these two countries mean to each other. If a confrontation, as you said, has produced so many classic moments, then of course you cannot simply view it as an ordinary football match. However, as coaches, this is exactly how we deal with it. We only focus on what we can influence. My coaching staff and I never discuss those historical events. We also don't talk about those classic moments. Because this game itself is already historic enough. The tension it brings is already strong enough. So, we will do the opposite.

We only guide players to focus on what we want them to do and how to react in different situations. We try to minimize the information we give to the players. The bigger the stage, the greater the pressure. So, we want to simplify the information as much as possible so that the players can actually execute it. Yes, we strive to do this. Maybe it's not easy. But the importance of this game is inherent. I think it wouldn't help if we put too much emotion into these historical factors.

We just interviewed your players. They all praised you for creating a brotherly team atmosphere. What have you learned from this team? Especially when coaching superstars like Bellingham, what has been your biggest takeaway?

What have I learned? I think it has further strengthened my belief. That is, football is still a sport about teamwork, and it will always be a team effort. I think it's not just us. I think the entire FIFA World Cup has proven this. All the superstars have truly embraced the team concept, the team spirit, and the belief in fighting for their national team. This is not only reflected in our superstars. We have built this special team atmosphere since September, October, and November last year. And when we finally finalized the FIFA World Cup roster, we also relied heavily on this group of players. Everyone recognizes and practices this philosophy to the highest standards.

As I said, it has further strengthened my belief. Yes, the word I'm looking for is "reinforced." It has further reinforced our confidence in this team. From day one, we came here very early for training and preparation. The spirit the team has shown, especially in places where outsiders can't see, is truly excellent. Of course, on match days, you can see the results of this spirit. But what is truly important is that this spirit of unity is always maintained at the highest level. This team is ready to give their all every time, and they will never give up easily. This is the most important quality of our team. This also makes me very proud.

AF's PC site is now live! Browse full news, comments, match details and stats on your computer. Visit: www.allfootballapp.com