Juan Sebastian Veron has raised the temperature ahead of Argentina's World Cup
match against England by referring to the troubled history between the two countries.
The Manchester United star said: "This match is about more than the men on the pitch - it's also important in a historical context."
And he was backed up by Argentina's captain Roberto Ayala, who is doubtful for the match in Sapporo with a thigh injury.
Ayala, for whom Veron stood in as captain against Nigeria, described England-Argentina matches as "a derby in the Argentina v Brazil mould".
The England-Argentina fixture in this World Cup has often been billed as a grudge match.
This is because of two controversial World Cup games and the Falklands War of 1982, when Britain went to war to reclaim the South Atlantic islands after an Argentine invasion.
Argentina have beaten England twice in recent World Cups - in 1986 when Diego Maradona scored his infamous "hand of God" goal and in 1998 when David Beckham was sent off.
Veron's comments echo those of Argentina goalkeeper Pablo Cavallero, who was even more direct than the star playmaker of his side.
"Maybe you shouldn't mix things like football and the war, but it's really hard not to do it," said the Celta Vigo player.
"It is the match that any Argentine wants to play, especially if you lost friends or family in 1982."
But others in Argentina's squad have tried to dismiss the game as nothing special.
Midfielder Matias Almeyda, who played against England in 1998, played down the significance of the match, directly contradicting Ayala's comments.
He said: "A kind of classic has been created around England matches because of the war but it's not a classic - a classic is (when we play) against Brazil."
"It's just a football match. There's nothing political about it," added fellow midfielder Claudio Husain.
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