Tottenham Hotspur wing-back Emerson Royal has now opened up on his desires to win the Champions League title. But AC Milan lead Spurs after the first leg of their Round of 16 tie.
Brahim Diaz secured the Rossoneri a 1-0 lead at San Siro this Tuesday. The 23-year-old hit the only goal of the game after seven minutes. Tottenham must now come from behind on March 8 to reach the quarter-finals. They have not gone further since the final in 2018/19.
Spurs exited the UEFA competition after the Round of 16 the term after losing to Liverpool in the final. They also only reached the last 16 of the Europa League in 2020/21 and failed to clear their Conference League group last season after forfeiting their clash with Rennes.
Tottenham secured home-field advantage for the second leg of their fixtures with AC Milan after topping Group D. The Rossoneri could only finish second in Group E to Chelsea. While both teams took three wins over six ties in the opening round of the 2022/23 tournament.
AC Milan failed to clear their group on the Serie A team’s return to the Champions League last season. The San Siro outfit are the second-most successful team in the UEFA Cup with seven titles to Real Madrid’s 14. Yet they had not competed in the tournament since 2014.
Emerson Royal now shares his Champions League title with Tottenham dream
Tottenham have never won the Champions League and lost 2-0 in their only final so far in 2019 against Liverpool. AC Milan won the last of their seven UEFA crowns to date in 2007, beating Liverpool in that final. The Rossoneri have also finished as runners-up four times.
Now, Royal hopes to help Tottenham overcome AC Milan, then go all the way and win the Champions League title this term. It is the defender’s first time playing in the competition. The £26m former Barcelona man has featured in all seven of Spurs’ fixtures, starting in five.
“We know how important it is,” Royal has told the Daily Mail. “We have big goals in all competitions. The FA Cup is a cup we want to win, like all other competitions.
“But we do have hope for the FA Cup and for the Champions League. It’s my first Champions League and I want to help the team go in search of that title.”
Tottenham will visit Sheffield United in the fifth round of the FA Cup on March 1. Spurs last won the cup in 1990/91 for the eighth of their titles to date. They have not made the final since beating Nottingham Forest 2-1 at the old Wembley, reaching the semis eight times.
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