Thomas Tuchel reflects on his past accolades with a sense of humor, recalling his time at Chelsea when he guided the team to Champions League victory in the 2020-21 season. When the German publication Sport Bild announced its coach of the season, Tuchel felt it was a foregone conclusion that he would be the recipient. “Yeah, there was no way out,” he says with a grin. “Because if Jürgen Klopp won at the same time the Charity Shield they give it to him …”
This playful jab at Klopp is delivered with a signature deadpan style, making it amusing to consider how Klopp might react upon reading it. However, Tuchel’s light-heartedness took a serious turn when he made a quip during an interview with Sport Bild about potentially bringing Erling Haaland to Chelsea to play alongside Romelu Lukaku, which displeased Haaland’s then-club, Borussia Dortmund. “I always need to apologise,” Tuchel admits. “They don’t get my humour.”
Tuchel’s encounters with Haaland have not always been smooth. While managing Paris Saint-Germain in the 2019-20 season, he witnessed Haaland score both of Dortmund’s goals in a 2-1 Champions League first-leg victory. PSG eventually advanced with a 3-2 aggregate score. Fast forward to the 2022-23 season at Bayern Munich, and Haaland’s prowess was evident again, as he netted goals in both legs of the quarter-final clash, which ended 4-1 in favor of Manchester City.
As the England head coach prepares for Saturday’s quarter-final against Norway in Miami, he is acutely aware that Haaland poses a significant threat to England’s World Cup aspirations. With seven goals in four matches, including two pivotal goals that led Norway to a historic 2-1 victory over Brazil in the last 16, Haaland has made a considerable impact on the tournament.
Beyond the pitch, Haaland has embraced the experience, enjoying moments like a shopping spree in Dallas where he picked up a cowboy hat, boots, and a humorous T-shirt that read, “Y’all can kiss my Dallas,” His social media posts reflect a lighthearted approach as Norway heads into the match against England with nothing to lose.
Haaland has made his intentions clear regarding the match atmosphere, stating, “There are some clear favourites out there and England are one of them,”
However, Tuchel is keen to challenge this narrative. “So I think all of you [in the media] should put every single pressure on the English lads.” he asserts. “But internally they know very well how good they are. They proved it. They eliminated a big, big, big nation [in Brazil] on a big stage. And from there on, there is no such thing any more as favourites. “I understand that it’s a bit of a lighter situation [for Norway] and they can ride this wave. But we’re not thinking in this matter and I don’t feel our players are playing with fear. I don’t feel the weight of the shirt. And now we go. No matter who is on the other side, no matter if we are favourites or not or if the pressure is on.”
Tuchel acknowledges that Norway’s lighter situation allows them to ride a wave of confidence, but he believes England’s players are not burdened by expectations. “When we stepped out of the plane in Miami, we expected it to feel painful,”
Arriving in Miami, England is set to face its first significant challenge with temperatures expected to reach 34°C at kickoff. Having previously played in air-conditioned venues and cooler environments, the team will need to adapt quickly.
Tuchel is optimistic that the warm-weather training, particularly the pre-tournament camp in Florida, will benefit the players. “Maybe we are still lucky and we get another dark cloud over the stadium and full rain. But the science says that we banked a lot of heat training. We haven’t lost that.” he remarks. “We need to spend more time in the opponent’s half. We struggle too much to overcome a high press of the opponent. We need to be better in the deep buildup, in the high press. More connected. “Our identity is not so obvious from a football point of view in this tournament. We struggle. It’s not a matter of commitment. It’s a matter of … we’re a bit stuck in thinking. We are thinking about the pass and then it is already half a second too late. The gap is not there any more. We are a bit overprotecting, overthinking and we need to get rid of that.”
While the physical heat is a concern, the pressure of expectations also looms large. England’s supporters anticipate victory based on rankings and squad valuations, a burden the team must carry.
Tuchel emphasizes the need for England to shed any inhibitions and embrace their potential, aiming for a performance reminiscent of their dominant 5-0 victory over Serbia in qualification.
Deeply contemplative about team identity, Tuchel reflects on how he envisions England embodying some of the best traits of the Premier League. However, he recognizes the challenge of instilling such frameworks in a short time. “You can’t avoid focusing [on him], for sure not,”
“There is so much quality in his moments and you have to make decisions. He will always arrive on the second post so the question is when to make contact with him. “Some defenders like to stay zonal and get the earlier jump. Some like to step back and start fighting with him on the ground, physically – but then he pushes you aside and gets a free header. If you stay zonal he jumps over you. He has all the weapons.” Tuchel insists. “We need to spend more time in the opponent’s half. We struggle too much to overcome a high press of the opponent. We need to be better in the deep buildup, in the high press. More connected.”
He continues, “Our identity is not so obvious from a football point of view in this tournament. We struggle. It’s not a matter of commitment. It’s a matter of … we’re a bit stuck in thinking. We are thinking about the pass and then it is already half a second too late. The gap is not there any more. We are a bit overprotecting, overthinking and we need to get rid of that.”
Ultimately, Tuchel is eager for a victory, regardless of the circumstances surrounding it. One thing remains clear: stopping Haaland is paramount. “You can’t avoid focusing [on him], for sure not,” Tuchel acknowledges. “There is so much quality in his moments and you have to make decisions. He will always arrive on the second post so the question is when to make contact with him.”
“Some defenders like to stay zonal and get the earlier jump. Some like to step back and start fighting with him on the ground, physically – but then he pushes you aside and gets a free header. If you stay zonal he jumps over you. He has all the weapons.”
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