Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino has said that his players must arrive at the Champions League final in Madrid “fresh, strong and with plenty of energy.”
Spurs’ domestic season finished with a 2-2 draw against Everton on the final afternoon of the Premier League season, and attention now turns to the first such final in the club’s history.
Speaking to Football.London, the Argentine revealed how else his side are preparing for the June 1 meeting with Liverpool in the Spanish capital.
“We have our idea, we have our plan. We designed our plan,” Pochettino said.
“Of course, you know, we need to be natural. It is not a pre-season, but it is not going to be a holiday. We are going to train normally, increasing a little bit our level. It is normal. We are not going to compete, we need to match that situation, increasing the intensity of the training session, we are at the end of the season.
“It is not like a pre-season where we can create a plan [of heavy work]. It is so important, we are going to assess the individuals and give more individual work than collective.
“Of course we are going to use a lot of training sessions to work and improve. It is clear that we are going to play against Liverpool, and we need to help them to arrive fresh, strong and with plenty of energy.”
OPINION
The upcoming two-and-a-half weeks are crucial for Spurs – and of course Liverpool – heading into the former team’s first-ever Champions League final. With no other games scheduled until this one, both sides have to make sure that the intensity does not drop, but there is also the chance to keep players fit by not pushing them too hard. It’s a fine balance which must be struck expertly; go to Madrid having been pushed too hard – 0r not enough – and be chasing the game – or put in exactly what is needed and be fully prepared. Either way, the final is going to be a massive test for Spurs. Liverpool know exactly what it feels like to lose a Champions League final – albeit any final in recent years – and add to that being outrun by one point in the title race and you get a Reds side who are more motivated than ever to bring a trophy home this season. Whatever Pochettino has got planned, it better be good.