Alan Pardew: It was a pleasant experience coaching Scaloni; he was an atypical Argentinian.

In an article for The Daily Telegraph, Alan Pardew recounted his experience coaching Scaloni, describing it as a wonderful time and highlighting Scaloni's stark contrast to traditional Argentine players. Unlike many players, Scaloni never proactively discussed tactics; he simply executed plans rigorously and efficiently. As a player, he rarely missed his mark or made mistakes, performing his duties flawlessly—a quality he retains today. While most Argentinians are outspoken and prone to emotional outbursts, Scaloni is completely different. His calm and composed demeanor makes him the most suitable coach for the Argentine national team.

The Daily Telegraph (original text)

In January 2006, I signed Lionel Scaloni on loan from Deportivo La Coruña in Spain. He played as a right-back. I still remember his agent telling me at the time, "You'll definitely like this guy."

Instead of praising his skills as usual, the agent emphasized that he was a very good person. I remember that sentence vividly, and it was indeed true.

Even before we officially met, his upright character was evident from his performance on the field. During our first meeting, he had a gentle smile and was warm and generous.

A player with a likable personality can often speed up a transfer deal, and we got along very well from the first time we met. After he joined, he was exceptionally easy to manage; he was quiet and low-key, and many times I would even forget he was there.

To be honest, seeing him now holding the title of World Cup-winning coach, aiming for a second World Cup trophy, and facing England in the semi-finals, it's really hard to connect him with the full-back I used to coach.

Many players proactively share their tactical ideas with me. For example, Kevin Nolan, who coached Newcastle United, would suggest, "Our set-piece efficiency is too low; we could try a few different tactics." Teddy Sheringham, who played for West Ham United, also reminded me, "There's too much space behind our defense; we need to strengthen our midfield. Perhaps we should bring on Mark Noble?" Over the years, many players have offered their advice; they are invaluable assistants to the coach on the field.

But Scaloni never initiates discussions about tactics; I've almost never discussed any tactical arrangements with him. He simply executes the established plan rigorously, thoroughly understands the duties of a full-back on the field, and efficiently completes all tasks.

"Highly efficient" is the most fitting word to describe him. As a player, he rarely missed his man or made mistakes, and he completed his duties flawlessly; now, as a coach, this quality remains unchanged.

I've coached three or four Argentine players, most of whom were outspoken and prone to emotional outbursts, such as Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano. Scaloni is completely different; he's calm and composed, a quality that makes him the most suitable coach for the Argentine national team. Argentine players don't need intense motivational speeches to ignite their fighting spirit; that's never been Scaloni's coaching style.

I always think back to the 1991 FA Cup final, when Terry Venables was managing Tottenham. Paul Gascoigne suffered a serious knee injury due to a reckless tackle caused by excessive excitement before the match. As a coach, I have always taken this as a warning and must manage the players' emotions carefully. Scaloni happens to bring that composure to the Argentine dressing room.

Faced with absurd conspiracy theories from the media, such as FIFA secretly manipulating the match to secure Argentina's victory, Scaloni responded clearly and firmly, just like the Scaloni I knew back then: "These claims are irrelevant and have nothing to do with us. We are on the field only to win." His demeanor was appropriate, and the state he displayed at the press conference was his true self.

Ultimately, it all comes down to "efficiency." Whether it's his work style or his body language, these are his most distinctive characteristics.

Tuchel, on the other hand, is the complete opposite. He's very emotional and impulsive on the sidelines, and he even had a disagreement with Jade Spence. When I was younger, my coaching style was also quite emotional, but Scaloni always remained calm and detached from the noise of the stadium. This composure is exactly what the Argentine team needs.

Of course, I won't shy away from that FA Cup final, which is also his most well-known and controversial moment in English football. He had only been with West Ham United for a few months at the time, and this Cardiff final was later dubbed Gerrard's crowning achievement.

That was the only time I ever saw Scaloni lose his composure and underperform. Before that, he was almost flawless, but this mistake came at a heavy price.

In the 90th minute, we were leading 3-2 when a Liverpool player went down injured. Scaloni, out of sportsmanship, kicked the ball out of bounds. After Liverpool regained possession, the ball landed near our corner flag. He could have kicked it to the wing or cleared it out of bounds again to run down the clock, but instead, he made a powerful cross into the middle, and the ball went straight to Gerrard's feet.

Gerrard, exhausted, still passed the ball to John Arne Riise, whose cross wasn't cleared cleanly, allowing Gerrard to unleash a powerful shot from 35 yards to equalize. We simply needed to run down the clock; we should never have let the ball fall back into the middle.

The match went into extra time, and we ultimately lost on penalties, missing out on the championship. Many West Ham fans are still upset about it, and after the game I hugged Scaloni to comfort him. We were just one step away from the title, and everyone was filled with regret. All I could tell him was, "Don't take it to heart, we've given it our all to get this far." The whole team was deeply pained by the final defeat, and there was no need to add to the burden by blaming the players.

I've always had a good impression of him, and he's remained in my memory ever since that final. At the time, he was only on loan, and the club decided not to complete the permanent transfer after the match, which seemed like the best option for both sides. He then returned to the Spanish league.

To this day, I've never spoken to him about that final. I really hope to meet him someday, to talk about his current glory in leading his team to the World Cup victory, and also about that heartbreaking final from back then. I look forward to the day when I can sit down with him for a cup of coffee and have a proper chat.

As for this semi-final, I predict England will win. The two sides are evenly matched, and the game will be very close. The return of Reece James and Bukayo Saka from injury will be crucial, especially Saka, whose frequent substitute appearances and lack of consistent starting positions have dampened his confidence.

I would prefer to start Saka, but the key to victory may lie in the attacking prowess of England's substitutes and their performance on set pieces.