Tottenham Hotspur take on Bodo/Glimt in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final on Thursday after getting past 2022 winners Eintracht Frankfurt in the previous round
Ange Postecoglou has insisted Tottenham winning the Europa League will be a bigger achievement than Manchester United lifting the FA Cup last season. And the Spurs boss urged his players to seize the “unbelievable opportunity” before hosting Norwegian side Bodo Glimt in the semi-final first leg on Thursday night.
Erik ten Hag dodged the axe and was awarded a transfer extension last season after winning at Wembley but was still dismissed in October. The Aussie boss is facing the sack with his side down in 16th place after a shocking 19 Premier League defeats.
But they are also only three games away from a first European trophy in 41 years – and a return to the Champions League. “I’m really strong at the moment with these parallel worlds we’re trying to traverse, and I’ve sensed that – and this is the way this club is perceived – that people are always trying to diminish it in some respects,” said Postecoglou.
“I’ve heard people say: ‘Well, it’s the equivalent of Man United winning the FA Cup’. No, it ain’t. I’m sorry, it’s not on any planet the equivalent. Others are suggesting that maybe we’re not worthy of the Champions League. Again, they’re things that are designed there to diminish what’s ahead of us, which is an unbelievable opportunity.
“Irrespective of how this season’s gone we have generations of fans who want this more than anything else, to share again with the people that they love, a special moment, supporting their football club, so this season could have gone a lot differently and we could be flying in the league, but it wouldn’t make this opportunity any different. The opportunity is the same.
“I’ve made that clear to the players. We’re disappointed obviously with Sunday at Liverpool, we were nowhere near the level we needed to be, but again, that’s something we need to deal with separately. What we have before us is a semi-final of a European competition with an opportunity to get to a final, win a trophy, Champions League football. I just think for the players and everyone involved at the football club, it’s a brilliant opportunity.”
Tottenham won the UEFA Cup in 1984 when Liverpool won the league and Spurs manager Keith Burkinshaw left the club. “I just don’t think that we can do anything other than really concentrate on an unbelievable opportunity we’ve got before us,” Postecoglou repeated.
“I just think irrespective of what kind of season you have, how often will you be in this position? History tells you not that often, irrespective of how strong you are as a club, even the strongest clubs in terms of Europe. So any thought of what’s going to happen next year or what’s going to happen this year I just don’t think is really of any importance.
“I think you ask any Tottenham supporter what’s furthermost in their mind right now, what’s going to happen next year or us hopefully trying to get to a final in Europe and the opportunity to win some silverware, I think the answer would be just concentrate on the now and that’s what I’m doing.”
Bodo Glimt, from a town of 42,00 people, are the first Norwegian men’s team to reach last four of major European club competition after beating Lazio on penalties. Postecoglou has already suffered a 5-1 defeat on aggregate defeat to Kjetil Knutsen’s side in a Europa Conference League playoff when he was the Celtic boss in February 2022.
“I think Bodo’s there on merit,” added the Spurs boss. ‘They beat Lazio, they beat Olympiakos, tough teams. They’re there because they’re a good football team. Doesn’t matter where you come from.
“That’s what I love about the game, that’s the beauty of football. Irrespective of where you come from, or the size of the place that you come from, if you’re ambitious and if you have a clear plan, especially in our sport, you can create unique opportunities and create fantastic moments. I think that’s what we love about the game, that’s what we love about football. There’s always been stories of clubs from smaller areas or small countries doing well in major competitions. That’s always existed.”
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