The tactic of 'erasing' Messi: "I avoid saying his name in talks to take the fear out of my players' heads"

Avoiding mentioning Leo Messi's name to his players during pre-match talks ahead of the game between Egypt and Argentina was one of Egyptian coach Hossam Hassan's main concerns, aiming to "move away the excessive respect" they have for the Argentine star.

"The word 'Messi' can be a little intimidating for some players," the Pharaohs' coach said in an interview with the Egyptian network ONTV, broadcast early this morning, days after the African team's return to Egypt following their heavy 3-2 defeat to Argentina in the round of 16 of the 2016 World Cup.

Hassan defended his team's performance, who despite being two goals ahead, psychologically collapsed in the last ten minutes and ended up succumbing to Argentina, something he had already anticipated before the match against the reigning world champions.

"I tried to ensure the players had a technical and tactical identity to work with, so they wouldn't depend on just one player. Also, on the psychological side, I don't want to know the name of the opposing team or the names of their players," the coach said, referring to the big names on the Argentinian squad.

He indicated that he had been preparing his players from the beginning to play "without looking at the color of the opponent's jersey" to avoid creating a sense of inferiority within the team.

"When I give a tactical example in talks, if Messi makes a move, I myself avoid saying his name. I prefer to say 'the number 10 player' or 'number such and such', to take away any excessive respect or fear from their minds," he revealed.

The Egyptian, highly critical of the refereeing in the round of 16 match, reiterated that the referee "generated tension" with his decisions, which "affected the technical aspect due to the distraction it caused" in the North African team: "What was happening every so often made the players nervous, he was handing out cards and calling fouls the wrong way."

In this regard, he lamented that his team has spent "two and a half years trying to consolidate an identity for Egyptian football," with the aim of earning the respect of fans and other, a priori superior, national teams.

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