Pochettino: Qualification is ‘massive achievement’

Manager says it was not mission impossible Tottenham ‘deserve to be in the next stage’

Mauricio Pochettino hailed Tottenham Hotspur’s 1-1 draw against Barcelona that clinched qualification to the knock-out stages of the Champions League as a “massive achievement”.

Tottenham had looked dead and buried in Group B after taking just one point from their opening three games, but they completed a miraculous comeback by drawing in the Nou Camp after beating Inter Milan and PSV Eindhoven at Wembley.

Inter’s 1-1 draw with PSV meant that substitute Lucas Moura’s 85thminute goal was enough to clinch qualification for Spurs, which sparked celebrations on the Nou Camp pitch and in the visiting dressing-room.

Pochettino said: “To see the celebrations inside, it was the first time we feel something special. The connection was amazing. We need to manage that energy after tonight.

“I am so happy, so proud. After Eindhoven, no-one believed in us. All said ‘mission impossible’. But we are here and in the next stage. It’s a massive achievement for the club and we are happy for our fans. It’s a massive boost for the club and to have the idea to play the next stage next year in the new stadium is a massive motivation for us.

“I always said anything is possible in football if you have the faith and quality. I never thought it was impossible. It’s a massive achievement for this group of players and the club. I am so happy.

“No-one believed in us after three games. We are in a period where we are playing every three days. We need to give the value to the players and the staff. They are working so hard. We need to rotate. It is tough, physically and mentally.”

Pochettino was kept up to date with the Inter scoreline, but admitted there was a moment when he and the players did not know whether Spurs had qualified.

“There was a little bit of confusion at the end,” he said. “We didn’t know if we could celebrate a lot. This helps us feel football, one of the most beautiful sports in the world. How it generates emotions.

“We suffered at times. It was difficult to manage the last 10 minutes. The players who came on knew the result in Inter. But you must win the game, try to score the second goal. But if you concede and lose 2-1 to Barcelona, then we are talking in a different way. It was difficult for the players to manage, but the effort was fantastic.”

Barcelona rested players, including Lionel Messi who came off the substitutes’ bench, but still took an early lead through Ousmane Dembele.

Pochettino added: “I have massive respect for the whole squad at Barca. Anyone playing for Barca can play in any team in the world.

“We always had the feeling we were in control. We conceded after seven minutes and maybe lacked the fluidity. Our strategy crumbled after that. We started playing in both stadiums, in the Nou Camp and in Italy. In the second half we settled down. We ended up waiting on Inter, but we deserve to be in the next stage.”