Coach says sorry for hauling off Dier after 29 minutes

Mourinho ‘hurt’ for making early change Alli admits all of Spurs players were struggling

Jose Mourinho issued an instant apology to Eric Dier after substituting the midfielder in the first half of his first home game as Tottenham Hotspur manager.

Tottenham were trailing by two goals when Mourinho replaced

Dier with Christian Eriksen before even 30 minutes had been played at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Mourinho’s side went on to complete a stirring comeback that guaranteed their place in the knockout stages of the Champions League, but the Tottenham manager described Dier’s removal as his most challenging moment of the match.

“The most difficult moment of the game for me was not when Olympiacos scored the first or second goal, but when I made the change in the first half. Hurt the player, but hurt myself,” said Mourinho.

“Not easy for the player, but not easy for myself. It is important the player understands and I was lucky that my choice was a very intelligent boy who has a good understanding of what the team is. It was about what the team needed, not his performance.

“I apologise to Eric, in spite of the fact he knows I did it for the team and not with the intention to hurt him. The fans understood that. In the end, the team is the most important thing. Christian gave us what we needed at that time.”

Goals from Dele Alli, Serge Aurier and two strikes from Harry Kane rescued the game for Tottenham after their abysmal start. Alli said Tottenham “could not have performed any worse” in the open

ing 45 minutes, adding that Mourinho could have substituted any of his players at that point.

“We were losing and the manager made the decision to bring on a more forward-thinking player,” Alli said. “It could have been any of us to come off in that first 20 minutes, but thankfully the sub worked.”

Their second goal, scored by Kane, was assisted in part by a sharp-thinking ballboy, who returned the ball to the field of play to aid a Tottenham attack. Mourinho joked afterwards that he wanted to invite the ballboy into the dressing room to celebrate with the Tottenham players, but was unable to find him after the match. “To do that, you have to be a very good ballboy,” Mourinho said.

“I was, between 10 and 16 years old, a very good ballboy. The kid is a very good ballboy. He understands the game, reads the game. He is not just there to look at the stands, the lights or the stars.

“He is there to watch the game. I tried to invite him to the dressing room at the end, but he disappeared. I don’t know where he is.”

Mourinho described it as a match in which he had to “play”, referencing the need for Dier’s substitution in the first half.

“It is not about me, it is about the team,” he said. “I just want to help.

The fans help. I help. The ballboy helped.” He added that he expects his side to start their next home game in a more confident mood, without the “ghosts” of their recent past playing on their minds.

“Some of them were tired. Then the fact they conceded early at home, they are not in a moment of great self-esteem. There was a bit of a bad feeling among the players.

“Then the way they reacted to the second half, coming from behind to go with everything and knowing that a draw would give us qualification, but not accept that and go for a victory in search of happiness, self-esteem and confidence.”