Tottenham proved to be the last team standing between the Foxes and the title.
Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino
Tottenham Hotspur boss Mauricio Pochettino has admitted that he felt that he had to watch Leicester City’s players celebrate winning the Premier League title last season, the Daily Mirror reports.
Spurs were the only team standing between the Foxes and the league crown when they travelled to face Chelsea in May knowing that anything less than a win would mean that their challenge would be over.
Leicester City’s players celebrate winning the title
And after a fiery encounter at Stamford Bridge, they had to settle for a 2-2 draw. And Pochettino explained that after returning home, he felt compelled to watch Leicester’s players – who had not been playing that evening – enjoy their moment.
“I never pushed my players to see the celebrations but when I arrived home after the Chelsea game I put on the TV and watched the Leicester celebrations for one hour, then turned off and went to sleep,” he said, as reported by the Mirror.
Tottenham and Chelsea players clash in a game that would confirm Leicester as champions
“To see how opponents celebrate the title is to show respect to the history and to football. It’s to be a gentleman.
“And it’s true that we need to say ‘hey, we must use this feeling’. Like in the film Moneyball with Brad Pitt – bam, shut the door, shut up and hear the silence. That is something important.”
As Pochettino suggests, the most important thing he could personally take from watching Leicester celebrate is the motivation to not be in that position again.
Tottenham had their opportunities to take control of the race, but ultimately came up short. And with Spurs making a bright start this time around, Pochettino will be reminding his players of what coming so close felt like last season in the hope that it inspires them to go one better this year.
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