Thomas Tuchel says he does not feel the burden of England's 60 years of hurt as he bids to lead them to a first World Cup final since 1966. England's only previous appearance in a World Cup final came 60 years ago when they beat West Germany 4-2 at Wembley to win the Jules Rimet trophy for the first and only time. They will bid to reach Sunday's final against Spain today when they face Argentina in Atlanta, Georgia, at the semi-final stage.
Tuchel's response to the '60 years of hurt' narrative
The head coach was asked whether he feels any of the burden of England's 60 years of underachievement at World Cups. "No, I don't feel a burden," Tuchel said. "The two shirts [England's and Argentina's] are just iconic. The match is iconic. Everyone represents the shirts and the players every day. It is just an absolute beauty of a magnitude of match."
Potential historic achievement for a foreign coach
The German would become the first ever foreign coach to lead a country to World Cup glory if England go all the way. Asked whether that is a motivating factor, he replied: "No. I never — it just doesn't work for me like this. I just don't set these goals. I could have never have expected to have the opportunity to coach [at] this level. This is just about living up to the expectations."
"I am, myself, very demanding, and the one who always demands everything to be almost perfect. But I have never set myself goals in terms of winning titles or being the first one here. I just try to be the best coach. Everything else falls into place. I have to influence what I can, and this is where my energy goes."
