Tottenham Hotspurs boss Ange Postecoglou Postecoglou on the importance of getting to the Europa League final
12/05/2025
Tottenham Hotspurs Training Ground, London, UK
12/05/2025
Tottenham Hotspurs Training Ground, London, UK
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00:00since Thursday night, but have you had any time at all to reflect on what awaits, what's
00:10happened, you know, just at a moment, particularly with your family, and are your boys happy
00:15they're getting a day off school to come to Bilbao?
00:18Yeah, probably about getting a couple of days off school.
00:21Yeah, no, look, I think, like I said, it's been pretty busy, but there's also some planning
00:29that needs to happen, and sort of some practicalities around a lot of it is just logistics and making
00:36sure that, particularly with the players, you know, we give them the best preparation
00:41possible, so you've got to do a few things, you know, pretty early on around logistics
00:46and making sure that everyone's organised, so that takes your mind to that final, but
00:51obviously, like I said, we had a game in between, so it's more been around the sort of practicalities
00:58of it than anything else.
01:00I think, I'm sure you've spoken about it since, but seeing you in the dressing room
01:05afterwards, that sort of rare glimpse that we don't often get privy to, that gave us
01:11a sense of what you've been through to get here, and does that make it kind of even more
01:19special when you get to Bilbao in this time?
01:23I think, you know, I've said before, I think whenever you're sort of, irrespective of the
01:29circumstances, when you get to such a significant moment, I think there's always, you know, an
01:37understanding of both on a personal level, but more importantly as a group, what we've had
01:42to overcome to get there, and I think every team's got their own story, and, you know,
01:48in those kind of moments, it's, you know, the emotion of it and how you've overcome, you
01:56know, the odds to get to where you are, you know, are really important to recognise for
02:01the group, and I guess for myself individually, so, yeah, you know, I was really proud of the
02:08fact that against the backdrop of a real, some real difficulties and some massive challenges
02:14that the group, you know, still found a way to get to the final and give us an opportunity
02:21of, you know, something pretty special.
02:24Before the last final in Europe, the Champions League final in 2019, the Spurs players were
02:32walking on hot coals and breaking arrows against their throat as part of the preparation.
02:38What are your plans?
02:39We've got enough injuries, mate.
02:40We've got enough injuries.
02:42I'm putting them in cotton wool for the next 10 days.
02:45Anything seriously with the way things have gone with us this year, any extracurricular
02:52activities are going to be at a minimum.
02:55I don't know if you were watching training today, we had Reggie tackle Brennan and they're
03:00on the same team, so it goes to show how we're going.
03:05Well, on that sort of thing, check up on Sonny and how you see this for him and also with
03:11the sort of emotional fact that he is, he's been here for a long time and not won anything.
03:16Yeah, look, he's, firstly, from a physical standpoint, he's good.
03:21You know, I think it was important he got some minutes yesterday.
03:23He needed them more for himself psychologically than anything else.
03:27And, you know, he had a good session today.
03:29He was never going to do the whole session because he played yesterday and he feels good.
03:33So, you know, we've still got sort of eight or nine days to go and a game on Friday where
03:38we can build him up and great to have him available.
03:41Like you said, he's been a big catalyst this year and a big driver.
03:45You know, he understands probably better than most what a trophy would have been for this
03:50football club and for him personally because he's had an unbelievable career here in which
03:55he's done just about everything.
03:58But, you know, the key bit, that silverware that every player craves for, you know, he knows
04:03how important it is for the club but also for how significant it will be for him personally.
04:07So, you know, the fact that he's back and available is good.
04:13I think.
04:13Hi there, Ange.
04:14Yeah, we were there for that moment with Reggie and Brendan.
04:16Are you kind of watching kind of training now with kind of a half wince?
04:19I mean, how do you kind of...
04:21I mean, it's just, like I said, it's just, it seems to be how our season's gone and, you
04:30know, you don't want to sort of, you want to protect the integrity of training and we've
04:34got to train at a certain level and, but they're the quirks of things that happen.
04:39Thankfully, nothing too serious and, yeah, you just got to hope and pray that the football
04:47gods have run out of sort of challenges to throw to us this year.
04:54How's he looking?
04:55Yeah, we'll see.
04:56He was a bit sore this morning with his knee but, like I said, it looks like a knock at
05:00this stage but we're going to let it settle for sort of 24 hours and then assess it but
05:05the initial thing was it's more of a knock than anything more significant.
05:11Ange, I asked you this last night but to expand on it, how big a player could have
05:17Dostoevsky feel given the absence of Maddison and Bergvot just in terms of providing that
05:21creativity?
05:22Yeah, look, he's, yeah, like I said, Daniel, we've obviously lost Maddison and Bergvot in
05:27the last two weeks so it's just, yeah, and, you know, yesterday I kind of, I only had three
05:35players that were supposed, you know, going to back up and they're all going to play 45 minutes
05:38and, you know, sod's law, it's one of those that gets injured and, look, he is important
05:44but, you know, where we are right now, they're all important, obviously and the thing with
05:50Deky was that, you know, he obviously missed a fair bit of football but I could just sense
05:54he was sort of getting back into the groove of things.
05:56I thought there's some real promising signs.
05:58At Bodo, we had to do a really disciplined job for us in terms of defensively but, you
06:03know, he started to show some of that attacking creativity and I thought he started the game
06:06really well the other night, yesterday so, you know, I thought our first 10 minutes were
06:09actually okay and then he gets injured so, yeah, he's pretty important to us in the context
06:14of kind of where the squad is at the moment so, fingers crossed, he's okay.
06:18And you've talked about kind of twin realities or sort of parallel challenges and there does
06:26seem to be a kind of different approach in Europe, particularly for these away games,
06:30than you're taking in the Premier League.
06:31Can you talk about that and kind of why the approach has felt so different in Buda and in
06:37Frankfurt to say how it felt against Palace yesterday?
06:41Well, I mean, look, some of it's just personnel and, you know, it's, you know, you're kind
06:48of, when you're putting teams together, there's, it's, you know, it's a sum of all the parts
06:53that make it sort of effective and when you make so many changes, it invariably becomes
07:01disjointed and you're not able to play with the same sort of fluency and rhythm.
07:04So, you know, if you look at our sort of back four in Europe, along with Vic, the reason
07:10I think that it works so well is that they all complement each other.
07:15They all sort of fit the pieces, you know, we've got speed, we've got the power, we've
07:18got the technical ability, we've got the calmness we need.
07:22So it kind of all fits together and that's why I think we look so effective.
07:26Same sort of with our front three and midfield.
07:29So you're kind of always looking, whereas when you're just, you know, you're putting
07:3211 players on the park, they're all very good and capable, but there are elements of
07:38that that go missing where, you know, they don't sort of complement each other when they're
07:44out there.
07:44So that doesn't allow you to play in the same manner and doesn't allow you to look as fluent.
07:49But again, you know, that's the situation we've been in.
07:53You know, yesterday was, you know, didn't really reach the levels in any of our football,
08:00whether it was our press or with the ball.
08:04And I think it was, you know, the effect of the changes we made.
08:10I also think it was a big emotional night for the whole group on Thursday night and we
08:15got back obviously late Friday morning.
08:17We didn't train Friday, which we usually do.
08:20So the preparation was limited and all those kind of things.
08:22They're not excuses, but they're reasons why maybe the lads didn't perform at the levels
08:26we wanted them to.
08:27Angelina.
08:28Hi, Ange.
08:29A lot of your style and system, it's based around the players really believing in the
08:35process and the tactics.
08:37How easy or hard has it been to keep everyone believing the way that they play through this
08:42season?
08:43I guess, I mean, that's what I spoke about sort of after the game is that I think I've
08:48said all along, as a manager, I guess that's a key to everything you do, you know, just how
08:55much belief the people, not just the players and the staff have around you.
08:58Now when things are going well, all that kind of takes care of itself, you know, but fair
09:02to say we haven't, you know, sort of had smooth waters this year where there was the opportunity
09:09for players to question and sort of maybe lose a bit of faith or belief in kind of what
09:15I was doing and what I wanted us to do.
09:18But I just never sensed that.
09:19I really felt the players, you know, even the most difficult of the time, still embrace
09:24the fact that, you know, if we continue down this road, we could still achieve something
09:27and so easy in the respects of, there was never any point where I felt, geez, I've got
09:36to sort of address this at any point.
09:38But also testament to, I guess, the group, the players and the staff, because they're just
09:46as important, that at no time when there was an easy option to waver on what we're doing
09:52and did I sense that that was it?
09:53And we wouldn't have got to the final if that was the case, I don't think.
09:56I think, you know, even during Europe, we had some real challenges with players missing
10:01and, you know, they still found a way to overcome those things.
10:06And I think when we got to the knockout stages, sort of from probably the Alkmaar away game
10:11wasn't great, but from Alkmaar home, those last five games, they really sort of said,
10:18OK, well, everything we'll work for has been for this purpose and been really clear on what
10:23we need to do.
10:25And you've spoken about the emotional side of this, you know, Europa League final.
10:28There was a moment earlier in the season when you did talk about trophies and it went viral,
10:34it got taken out of context in ways.
10:36But for you, how important is winning this trophy?
10:42Well, for me personally, well, you know, great.
10:45It's another trophy I can sort of reminisce in my old age about, but more importantly what
10:53it means for the club.
10:54I think I've always said that it's the significance of what it does to people that really impacts
11:03you.
11:04So, you know, a lot of the success I've had has been stuff that's pretty significant.
11:10You know, it's been at clubs, you know, Yokohama hadn't won the championship for 14 years.
11:14Australia had never won a continental championship.
11:18Brisbane had never won one.
11:19South Melbourne, my first job, we hadn't won one in seven years.
11:23You know, Celtic, it was one year, trust me, that's a long time in Scotland.
11:27But they had to wrestle back, you know, the dominance that they had for so long.
11:31So they all, it's the significance of them that, because you know what it does to the
11:36club and to the people.
11:37And when you look at the historical backdrop of this club and what it's sort of been on
11:46for the last, you know, 20-odd years, I feel like it could be a turning point in terms of
11:53the way, A, the club is perceived, but also more how it perceives itself, which is I think
11:59the biggest thing.
12:01Because until you do that, irrespective of what else you accomplish, people are always
12:05going to say, well, you haven't won anything.
12:07And in our game and, you know, in life in general, I guess that's the things that matter
12:13most when, you know, people sort of assess, you know, where you're at.
12:19Dave?
12:20Hi, Ange.
12:20I was going to ask you about your history, actually, and previous finals.
12:24I suppose two things.
12:25Is there a different energy around the final?
12:28You know, can you talk a little bit about that?
12:30And also, do you draw on those, you just touched on it, but do you draw on those triumphs
12:35as you go into this one?
12:37Yeah, I do.
12:38And they are.
12:39They are different.
12:40They're kind of standalone events.
12:41There's nothing like them.
12:43Every experience I've had, you know, you kind of walk into it knowing that it's going
12:49to be different to any other game you're going to play.
12:54It seems, you know, every game's important, but the significance of what's at stake, you know,
13:01you're never too far from the eyeline of the trophy that you're going to get.
13:05And it takes a lot out of you emotionally, physically on the day.
13:11I know the players obviously need to try and, you know, prepare as they always would.
13:19But, you know, you can't ignore the fact, I mean, we're, what, we're 10 days out and today
13:24is already, you know, you've got to start talking about it.
13:26So, so there is, there's a different feeling.
13:29And I guess I've had a lot of experience in it.
13:32So I kind of know, I try and navigate that sort of fine line between, you know, trying
13:38to keep it as normal as possible, but also understanding the players that, you know what,
13:41it is a special opportunity that we need to take.
13:44And it takes sometimes something more than just the normal to get you there.
13:49I was going to say, can you prepare those players for something that maybe some of them
13:52haven't experienced before?
13:53I know you have.
13:54Yeah, you can.
13:55I think you can.
13:56I think it's just about, you know, just tapping into, you know, I mean, they've all got sort of,
14:01they're all different personalities, but you get to know them pretty well.
14:04And, you know, I think there's always, for me, the key is, you know, a greater purpose
14:12than what's before you is always the key.
14:15You know, can you create a narrative where, okay, yes, it is a final.
14:21Yes, there is a trophy at state, but that's the same for the opposition as well.
14:26Is there something greater that can drive you beyond that, just winning a trophy?
14:29And that's something you kind of build into long before you get to this point.
14:36But if it's been consistent and it's resonated with the group, I think it can be powerful
14:41on the day.
14:42Tom?
14:43Just on the narrative, there's already been quite a lot of talk about Man United, how
14:46they win these finals.
14:47Tottenham tend to lose them.
14:49A lot of Man United voices in the media.
14:51Over the next kind of week or so, how do you prevent that from filtering through to the
14:55players?
14:55Do you use it as fuel?
14:56Do you try and block it out?
14:57What's your approach?
14:58Yeah, depending.
14:59I mean, sometimes, you know, there's no doubt the comments of the Bodo players had an impact
15:06on the group.
15:07They're quite keen to kind of make sure that those questions got answered.
15:11But again, you know, I guess that's the hurdle this club has to overcome because it'll always
15:20be there.
15:20You know, until you actually do it, then you're fair game for people to say, well, you've
15:24always kind of fluffed it on the big stage.
15:26So, irrespective of, you know, what the opposition say or what anyone else says, what you've got
15:34to try and do is break that cycle.
15:37And whatever motivation you need to do that, you tap into.
15:42So, yeah, there may be things we do tap into.
15:44But as I said before, I think to really, you know, to do something as significant as we want
15:52to do, I think there's got to be a higher purpose than just shutting people's mouth up.
15:57I think that's, okay, that'll happen anyway.
16:00I think it's more about, you know, can you make an impact?
16:04I often say to the players, you know, at the end of your careers, what you want to do is
16:08be able to go back to the clubs you served and know you've made an impact.
16:15You know, the photos I see up on the walls at the stadium are all of, you know, Bill Nicholson,
16:31the 84 winning team, fair to say a lot of them are in black and white.
16:37So, can we get this group up on that wall?
16:42Can I talk about the Son decision?
16:44For you, is it very much a black and white, he's fit enough or he's ready?
16:49Or is there some sort of emotional pull there as well, what he represents to the club, his
16:52service over the years, what he means to the team?
16:55No, I think it comes down to, you know, get him ready to play and then make the decisions
17:01from there.
17:01It's got nothing more than that.
17:02It's got to be about, well, I said it's about, it's going to, the one thing I do know about
17:06finals is there are always moments and there are always players who can change it, but
17:12it's going to take a collective effort.
17:14It's what we do as a team.
17:15It's going to be much more important than individuals on the day.
17:18George?
17:18Hi, and you mentioned the 84 team.
17:20I mean, they had loads of injuries.
17:21They struggled in the league and they missed Glen Udall for the semifinals and finals.
17:26So many parallels.
17:27Have you kind of spoke to the squad about that team and I guess how much did you know of
17:32that team before kind of coming to the club?
17:34I think from when I arrived, I've spoken a lot about the history of the club and, you
17:39know, what, you know, what the challenge was for this group of players as it has been for
17:48every group of players since, you know, the club's had the success it did.
17:52So, and there's been some fantastic players, world-class players who've, you know, played
17:57here and world-class coaches, managers who've been here.
18:01And you need to understand the history and the magnitude of the task at hand to understand
18:09A, how difficult it will be, but also, you know, how significant it can be.
18:14So, I've always, you know, I've kind of, you know, talk about narratives.
18:18I mean, that's been one of the constants from the time I arrived is how do we, you know,
18:23how do we, as a group, make the impact that others haven't been able to.
18:29We know it's not just about ability.
18:31Because like I said, there's world-class players, world-class managers.
18:35And sometimes it's just a bit of luck that you need to go your way.
18:39But to get that luck, you've got to put yourself in a position to have that success.
18:44So, yeah, I've kind of made sure the players are well aware of, you know, the significance
18:51of what they're trying to achieve.
18:52And we saw you out in training.
18:54I mean, you're sort of talking to Rodrigo and Pedro for, like, a long, long, long time.
18:59That kind of image fills the world away from the kind of image that's built up of you
19:03of not doing small talk and not kind of getting close to your players.
19:06I'd say you've probably got closer to this squad than any other squad, maybe because
19:10of the challenges you've got.
19:11No, I think as you get older.
19:13I mean, a lot of that stuff references when I was, you know, a younger manager.
19:17And it's just the way.
19:19But, you know, as you get older, you're kind of, you're mellow a bit.
19:23And, you know, you kind of try and, you understand also that the world's changing
19:29and people need connections these days.
19:31It's important.
19:31And so it was a nice day.
19:34It's not often you can sit out in the grass out there, mate, and have a chat with the boys.
19:37And, yeah, it's just a general chat.
19:39And, you know, they're both great guys, not just, you know, good footballers, but great guys.
19:46And it's always good to get, you know, some feedback from them as well.
19:50They obviously played a bit yesterday and kind of see where the group's at.
19:53And so, yeah, so it's a fairly common occurrence, mate.
19:58Rachel.
19:59Hi, Ange.
19:59Sorry, another question about Sonny.
20:02So there's a lot of Korean fans in Korea waking up at 4 a.m. for this game midweek,
20:09hoping to see him play and hopefully lifting that first club trophy that he's missing.
20:13So we spoke to him yesterday and he was thanking the medical team for helping him return a bit earlier
20:20than that was planned from his injury.
20:22How is his injury currently?
20:24Is he going to be 100% match fit by the final?
20:27And were you surprised that he managed to get back in time?
20:31Yeah, look, in terms of his fitness, as I said, he's progressing well.
20:34Obviously played 25, 30 minutes yesterday.
20:37Hopefully we should get him some game time on Friday against Villa as well.
20:41And, you know, he trains right through.
20:45He'll be in good condition.
20:46And, yeah, he's worked hard to get back with the medical team.
20:50It was a bit of a funny injury.
20:51Just no real kind of pre-prescribed length of time.
20:59It was just how he felt and how he progressed.
21:01But he worked hard on it with the medical team.
21:03And, yeah, it was important he gets some game time.
21:06And, yeah, hopefully he just kicks on there.
21:08So, him and Ben Davies are the only two players left from that last European Cup final.
21:15How much motivation would that heartbreak be to bring back a different result this time for them?
21:21Yeah, I think, like I said, Ben and obviously Sonny have been here quite a while
21:26and understand, you know, that the opportunities don't come along too often.
21:33It's not like you're getting, you know, a final every year.
21:36And so when they do come along, like I said, the last one was, you know, five or six years ago,
21:41you want to take that opportunity because you just can't assume it'll come again next year or the year after.
21:47And, again, I think both of them are a good reference point for the rest of the boys.
21:53James to finish, please.
21:55Hi, Adj.
21:56You mentioned Spurs need to break the cycle.
21:58And when you talk about how you've broken that cycle at other clubs in the past,
22:02is Tottenham the toughest version of that situation that you faced in your career?
22:06It's hard to say.
22:13I mean, I guess the challenges of this year have made it feel like it's harder for sure
22:23because, like I said, you know, stuff that's happened this year
22:29that never happened before in my career and sort of just events that are, you know, out of your control.
22:36So, and I think, obviously, the, you know, the attention that the league gets
22:47and obviously the attention that the club gets make it, you know, feel like it's, you know,
22:53it's more of a push to get it to where you want to, for sure.
22:58Maybe, you know, some of the other clubs and circumstances, you know,
23:06there was less kind of, not resistance, but less sort of, less barriers to overcome.
23:16Seems like here there's a lot.
23:18So, and like I said, you know, it's, you just have to look at, you know,
23:25where the club's been for the last, you know, 20-odd years.
23:28It's not because of the lack of players, quality players or managers that have all been through here.
23:39So, it's, you realise that, but I realised that when I took the role, you know,
23:45it's not going to be an easy, not an easy, but it's going to be a massive challenge.
23:49But we've given ourselves an opportunity and I think now the key bit is to try and take that opportunity.
23:54So, you feel it has primarily been a psychological thing, do you think?
23:59Some of it, not all of it, because, you know,
24:02you can't dismiss the fact that I've also had to change pretty much everything at the club
24:10in terms of playing style, in terms of the squad.
24:12It's not like I took over a team and finished third.
24:14It's constantly in that, you know,
24:18I mean, the year before I took over, we were eighth.
24:22We weren't even in Europe, didn't qualify for Europe.
24:25So, it wasn't like, so it's not just been a, you know, kind of,
24:28okay, this is the final bit.
24:30You know, I've had to do a whole lot of other things.
24:32We've done a lot of heavy lifting in this last, you know, two years.
24:35We've signed a lot of young players with the right kind of thinking in the future.
24:40That's costing us now because we don't have a squad that can cope with what's going through.
24:44But, so, it hasn't just been psychological.
24:48It's just that it's been, like I said,
24:51it's about trying to change a whole range of things,
24:54but also have that piece.
24:56Because I always, my view was that's what I'll get judged on, you know.
25:00Like I said, I could have been sitting here fifth last year, fifth this year.
25:05So, and maybe I, you know, okay, maybe people wouldn't be waiting for the white smoke
25:11to see if it's my last one, but they'd still be saying, you know,
25:15Angie, that's great, but that's all been done before.
25:19Until this club wins something, then you haven't really made an impact.
25:22So, I kind of knew that for however long my tenure last year,
25:28that's what it's going to be judged and measured on.
25:32So, we've got ourselves an opportunity to do that.
25:38Everyone's got the white smoke reference, yeah?
25:41I don't need to explain myself.