POCH: LEARN FROM CRAFTY JUVE
MAURICIO POCHETTINO has told Tottenham they must learn to exert their influence in the Champions League as he revealed Juventus chief Beppe Marotta pressurised the referee during half-time of Spurs’ 2-1 defeat at Wembley on Wednesday. Pochettino also pointed to the presence of Juve chairman Andrea Agnelli in the tunnel before and during the game and vice-chairman Pavel Nedved on the pitch. He stressed he was not criticising the Italians but that it was time for Spurs to wise up. ‘It is two games against this type of club,’ said Pochettino. ‘One on the pitch and one outside the pitch. Juventus have the habit to win and the habit to put pressure on the referee. We saw how the sporting director (Marotta) put pressure on the referee at half-time. The owner stayed in the tunnel before and during the game. Agnelli was on the field during the warm-up. And Nedved.’ Juve were furious when Polish referee Szymon Marciniak failed to award a penalty for a foul by Jan Vertonghen on Douglas Costa. Executives in their club suits crowded Marciniak during the interval and the referee emerged at the start of the second half still surrounded by Juve players. Pochettino said: ‘We put pressure on the referee but it was easy for the referee to manage us because we were very nice people, trying to help to play a game. Maybe I need to learn, and the coaching staff, like our players, how we put pressure on the referee.’