​With a laugh, Tuchel dismisses altitude medicine and rejects talk of revenge. Mexico vs. England this Sunday (5), a FIFA World Cup round of 16 match, will be held in Mexico City at an altitude of 2,240 meters. The altitude raises concerns for England, but coach Thomas Tuchel has ruled out any medicine to ease the effects, calling the reports “incorrect” and “not true.” English tabloids had suggested that WADA might grant special permission for sildenafil citrate, a vasodilator commonly known as Viagra, to help athletes cope with the thin air in the Mexican capital. Tuchel responded with a chuckle and a brief denial: “That information is incorrect, it is not true.”
The German coach also spoke about the extra challenge England presents. “We feel it even when we’re not training. I had a bit of a headache and didn’t sleep as well as on previous days, but it’s something I can handle and adapt to. The players sensed it at the start of training. It’s a reality. We can’t fully acclimate, but we arrived a day early to experience it in advance, not just during the warm-up. We’ll have a pre-match warm-up to gauge the ball’s speed. It’s not unusual for England to start strong. The first 20, 30 minutes will be very tough for us, but we’re in a good position.”
Will England seek a “trauma” to revisit? England will play at the Azteca again, 40 years to the day since the 1986 World Cup quarterfinals against Argentina. Diego Maradona’s “Hand of God” opened the scoring, followed by the “Goal of the Century.” The Argentines eliminated England and went on to lift the title. “Everyone remembers the goal; it’s an iconic moment at the Azteca, a huge disappointment for England. It’s painful and still hurts, but we’re not here for revenge. It’s not even the same opponent. We’re here in great spirits,” the coach said. Mexico and England kick off at 9 p.m. Brasília time on Sunday. The winner will advance to a quarterfinal against Brazil or Norway, who play earlier.
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in Portuguese here.