Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou has called on his players to seize an “unbelievable opportunity” as they prepare to host Bodo/Glimt in the Europa League semi-final first leg on Thursday, with a place in a long-awaited final up for grabs.
Spurs, reeling from a 5-1 humiliation at Liverpool that confirmed a 19th league defeat of the season, remain mired in 16th place and are set for their worst top-flight finish in nearly half a century.
But Postecoglou urged his squad to block out the domestic noise and focus on delivering the club’s first trophy in 17 years.
“I just think, irrespective of what kind of season you have, how often will you be in this position?” he said.
“History tells you not that often… any thought of what’s going to happen next year or what’s happened this year, I just don’t think is really of any importance.”
The Australian was adamant that Tottenham’s European run should not be diminished by critics, reminding fans that “we have generations of fans who want this more than anything else… This season could have gone a lot differently, but it wouldn’t make this opportunity any different.”
Postecoglou also dismissed comparisons between Spurs’ stature and Norwegian champions Bodo/Glimt.
“You say we’re a big club, they’re a small club. It doesn’t matter. We’re two clubs in the semi-final of a European competition, and they’ve earned the right to be there.”
Midfielder James Maddison echoed his manager’s sentiments, saying the players were determined to give fans something to smile about.
“It hurts me a lot that we are having a poor season… This is why we are so motivated about this competition, because the season can still be very special.”
Spurs will be without captain Son Heung-min for the first leg in London, as he continues to recover from a foot injury sustained in early April.
