Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni says the World Cup clash with England is a ‘football game and that is all’ but Diego Maradona Jr does not agree.
The two nations meet in Atlanta on Wednesday night with a place in the World Cup final on the line after France play Spain in the first semi on Tuesday.
The rivalry between England and Argentina will be sparked back into life after laying dormant for 21 years, last meeting in a friendly in 2005, which the Three Lions won 3-2.
England beat Argentina on their way to winning the 1966 World Cup but the South Americans got their revenge en route to winning the 1986 tournament in one of the sport’s most famous games.
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Maradona scored twice in the 2-1 win, once with his hand and once with an incredible solo goal.
Argentina downed England on penalties in a 1998 quarter-final before the Europeans beat their old rivals in a 2002 group stage game, sending them home very early.
Of course the rivalry is much bigger than football, with 907 people dying in the 1982 Falklands War between the countries.
Despite the history on and off the pitch, Scaloni insisted his players see the contest on Wednesday as just a football match.
‘The message is this is a football game,’ he said. ‘That is what I can say. We will be playing against a very tough opponent, they have an excellent coach, it is a football game and that is all.’
Maradona Jr. is not on board with that statement and says his father, who died in 2020, would not be either.
‘My dad wouldn’t see it as a normal game, just another game. We can say a lot of things, but it wouldn’t be an ordinary game, nor will it be normal,’ Maradona Jr. told Marca
‘For all Argentines and Maradona fans, it will be a special occasion. It’s one that brings to mind everything about the Falklands and all our brothers who died there, and then what happened to my dad in ’86.
‘My old man won a historic match, and since then, nothing has been normal against England.
‘It’s never going to be a normal game, and this one in particular is going to be tough for our national team.
‘It’s true that England is playing well, but watch out — they have to face and beat the world champions. It’s going to be tough… For both teams.’
England captain Harry Kane is more in the Scaloni school of thought, telling ITV: ‘I think it’s not something you want to focus too much on the surrounding the history, and yeah, that’s all part of it, and that’s what you guys will talk about.
‘But from players’ point of view, it’s us against a great team who are smart, who are tactical, who know how to buy fouls, know how to slow the game down.’