FIFA World Cup 2018: Match too early so can't visit pub, says Iceland coach

Iceland are set to make history by playing their first World Cup match as the smallest nation in terms of population and that too against a Lionel Messi-led Argentina at the Spartak Moscow Stadium

Iceland manager Heimir Hallgrimsson is famous for his dentistry and maintaining good public relations with Iceland fans. There was a time when he used to go to a bar where the supporters of the Iceland national football team would gather. He made it a must to visit the same pub, announce the team combination and tactics with them, before every match Iceland played at home.

So, now, as Iceland are set to make history by playing their first World Cup match as the smallest nation in terms of population and that too against a Lionel Messi-led Argentina at the Spartak Moscow Stadium here on Saturday, one journalist wanted to know which pub he would go to in Russia to reveal the playing XI and discuss possible tactics.

Hallgrimsson took the questions rather sportingly and replied: "The match starts at 4pm [Russia time]. It's too early a start to go to a pub before the match to reveal the playing XI." One a serious note, Hallgrimsson admitted to the media that it would be unfair to assign a single player the role to mark the mercurial Messi and that he has no magic-formula to stop the Argentine skipper either. Finally, whatever happens at this World Cup, Hallgrimsson insisted that he would "still remain a decent dentist."

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