TO INFINITY AND BEYOND
Buzzing Pochettino tells his Spurs players to reach for the stars
MAURICIO POCHETTINO channelled his inner Buzz Lightyear as he ordered his players to reach for the stars and target Tottenham’s first Champions League final. ‘You must dream with the moon if you want to reach the sky,’ said Pochettino on the eve of tonight’s semi-final first leg against Ajax. ‘You need to settle your dreams in the infinity and beyond. It is going to be a magic night.’ It is 57 years
since Spurs were at this stage of Europe’s most prestigious competition when they were beaten by Benfica. They have never made it to the final.
‘When you are ambitious and want to achieve big things, you need to dream,’ Pochettino added. ‘I was always a dreamer. When I was very young in my home town of Murphy I dreamed to be one day a footballer and I achieved it.
‘It was tough but I believe there is energy and power in your mind when you are determined and work hard. If you don’t have dreams, it’s difficult to achieve.
‘ To be in a semi- final of the Champions League with Tottenham was a dream five years ago and already we are living the dream. It is going to be a magic night.’
When Pochettino arrived from Southampton in 2014, the challenge set by chairman Daniel Levy was to bring Champions League football to the new stadium.
Spurs were ahead of schedule as they closed the gap on the top four. This is their third successive season in the Champions League and, belatedly, they are in their new £1billion home at White Hart Lane.
‘Maybe we didn’t win a trophy,’ said Pochettino. ‘But what we are doing now is more than just a trophy. What we achieve as a club is massive. Not in the history of football can anyone repeat the history Tottenham have made.’
Spurs go into the first leg against Ajax without top scorers Harry Kane and Son Heung-min.
Kane is out with an ankle injury and, although his rehabilitation is going well, Pochettino confirmed he is not expected to take part in the second leg of the semi-final, either.
Son is banned from the first leg but will be back for the return in Amsterdam. Harry Winks, Serge Aurier and Erik Lamela have been ruled out. Winks had groin surgery yesterday and is expected to be out for three weeks. Moussa Sissoko and Jan Vertonghen have trained since missing Saturday’s defeat at home against West Ham.
Pochettino rejected the idea his team looked tired against the Hammers. ‘We ran four kilometres more than West Ham,’ said the Spurs boss. ‘When you lose, it’s easy to say it’s because you were tired, but it’s wrong. We were OK. We just didn’t find a way to win.’
Ajax did not play at the weekend. ‘ That is not an excuse,’ said Pochettino. ‘That is reality. We were competing in a derby and Ajax had a week to prepare.
‘The fairest way is for both teams to prepare the same way, but it is going to be a fantastic semi-final.’