Champions League Several Spurs leaders spoke to MARCA
Tottenham are bidding to win the first Champions League title in their history as they prepare to take on Liverpool in Saturday’s final.
Ahead of the match at the Wanda Metropolitano in Madrid, MARCA have been speaking to several of the key figures at the club.
While Liverpool opted to travel out to Spain on Friday, Spurs have already been in Madrid for a few days, training at Real Madrid‘s Valdebebas base.
“We preferred to get here with plenty of time to avoid any negative surprises,” Mauricio Pochettino‘s assistant coach Jesus Perez said.
“We didn’t want to have any distress with flights or anything else. It’s a really important game and so we travelled on Wednesday so nothing could disrupt us.”
Pochettino had previously made a joke on El Partidazo and Radio MARCA about Florentino Perez not allowing him and his squad to sleep at Valdebebas until he became Real Madrid coach. Los Blancos released a statement condemning his comments afterwards.
“I’m glad that what I said has finally been understood,”
Pochettino told Radio MARCA. “He’s a president that has marked an era and it was never my intention to annoy him or Real Madrid – a club that I have love for.
“The fact that Tottenham have got to a Champions League final for the first time under adverse circumstances and lots of competition shows the world that you can do great things in a different way.
“Football goes further than money.”
Tottenham‘s talisman has been out injured since the first leg of the quarter-final with Manchester City but looks to be fit in time for the final.
“He’s been training since Friday as normal, but I don’t want to say that he’s 100 percent,” Pochettino said on Monday. “We hope that he will be [100 percent] by the final.”
For the first time in history, all four finalists of the Champions League and Europa League have come from the same country. Chelsea defeated Arsenal in the Europa League final in Baku on Wednesday and tens of thousands of English fans will descend on Madrid for the showpiece of the season this weekend.
Liverpool and Tottenham completed incredible comebacks against Barcelona and Ajax respectively in the last four without some of their big names.
“Everyone has felt important during the season and for this final,” Erik Lamela said of his Tottenham teammates.
Both Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino were injury absentees for Liverpool‘s astonishing turnaround against Barcelona at Anfield in the last four but both are fit to face Tottenham.
“Everyone has seen how Liverpool’s attack play,” said Spurs captain Hugo Lloris. “They’re a very quick and aggressive team that goes forward with three great goal-scorers in [Sadio] Mane, Salah and Firmino.
“We have to be extremely aware defensively and not give them any space. The final can be decided by details and they are experts in taking advantage of them. We’re lucky to know them well as we compete in the same competitions.”
“The key is to be all over them and have the most time possible on the ball,” Moussa Sissoko said. “I don’t think it’d be a good thing to give them the initiative, there will be different stages during the game.
“Sometimes they’ll pin us back and others when we have to go out and attack, we’re not going to go out and press and take advantage of the counter attacks instead.”
With the return of Kane, Fernando Llorente and Lucas Moura may be forced to start on the bench despite their heroics earlier in the competition.
“I don’t know if I’ll start, but I dream of scoring in the final,” Llorente said. “I will be prepared to take advantage of the opportunity like I have done in the last few games.”
Llorente and Moura scored winning goals against Manchester City and Ajax earlier in the competition during games of high drama late on.
“If this season, one of the best in history, has shown us anything, it’s that you have to fight until the last second,” Llorente said.
Tottenham players wary of Liverpool"s attacking threat as Champions League final preparations continue - MARCA.com
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