Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino has said that winning the Champions League this season will help “change the perception” of the club.
Spurs will play Liverpool in the final in Madrid on June 1, having defeated Borussia Dortmund, Manchester City and Ajax in the knockout stages – the latter in spectacular fashion.
Speaking to Sky Sports News, Pochettino insisted that while his side are already “creating history” by earning a place in the club’s first-ever Champions League final, they can make history by defeating Liverpool.
“I think we can make history,” the Argentine said. “We are creating history because we are making it, but if we can win we will write history and change the perception of this amazing club.
“Of course the club and the fans and we all deserve to be focused on the way and how we can win the final. That is the principle objective, there’s not another objective.”
OPINION
Forget the Premier League; it has been all about the Champions League for Spurs this season. Let’s face it, there was no way the North London club were ever going to pip Liverpool or Manchester City to the title and that has shown, with Pochettino’s side finishing 27 points behind Pep Guardiola’s team and 26 behind the Reds. But in the Champions League, Spurs have been a completely different beast. They have come alive. After breezing past Dortmund in the last 16, their away-goal victories over City and Ajax were remarkable and incredible in every measure. Losing 1-0 from the first leg was bad enough, but to be 3-0 down on aggregate at half time in the second leg and come back was ridiculous. Now, Spurs travel to Madrid knowing that they face a tough test against a Liverpool side who know what it’s like to lose in a final and will not want to go through it again. But Pochettino’s men definitely have what it takes to pull off a result.