Spurs went out of both competitions in the early stages.
Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino has revealed in his press conference, as quoted by the London Evening Standard, that his side’s exit from the Europa League hurt more than being knocked out of the Champions League.
Spurs have achieved the unwanted distinction of being knocked out of both European competitions at the first time of asking this season.
After qualifying for the Champions League group stage with last season’s third-place finish, the North Londoners won just two of their six games, ending up third in their group.
That finish saw them drop down into the first knockout round of the Europa League, where they were handed an apparently favourable draw against Belgian side Gent.
However, a 1-0 away defeat and a 2-2 draw at Wembley saw them crash out at the first time of asking yet again, completing a miserable European campaign for Pochettino’s side.
Now, the Argentine boss has revealed that the shock Europa League exit hurt more than being knocked out of the Champions League, perhaps because many felt Spurs had a decent chance of going all the way int he second-tier competition.
Pochettino said, via the Standard: “The Champions League is a closed chapter. I am more disappointed to be out of the Europa League. That hurt me more than the Champions League.”
Pochettino went on to assess the reasons, as he sees them, as to why English teams have been struggling in European competition over the last few years.
He surmised: “Why do English teams struggle in Europe? The Premier League is so difficult to manage, along with the cups. Then you have to be fresh to play very good teams in Europe.
“For many clubs in Europe, the Champions League or the Europa League is the most important competition. They rest players in other competitions so they are ready for Europe, which is a different approach from in England.
“Here you can’t rest players or make changes. At Christmas we have the toughest period of the season, whereas players in European leagues are in Dubai or the Bahamas, places like that. We are training, competing, focusing on football.
“That affects the situation when you get to February and March. It is a big advantage for the teams in Europe whereas for us, it is very tough.”
To be fair to Spurs, since the crushing disappointment of the second leg against Gent on February, the side have responded wonderfully,
A 4-0 win against Stoke City and a 3-2 triumph over Everton in the Premier League, as well as the 6-0 mauling of Millwall in the FA Cup quarter-final, makes it 13 goals scored and just two conceded in their last three games.
Pochettino’s men sit second in the table, above Manchester City on goal difference, and have a Wembley semi-final date against league leaders Chelsea next month.
There are still 11 league games to go this season, but Pochettino will already be hoping that his side can find a way to compete in Europe next season, and put this term’s continental disappointments behind them.
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