Home Featured MAURICIO POCHETTINO: TOTTENHAM WILL ‘DIE TRYING’ TO REACH CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

MAURICIO POCHETTINO: TOTTENHAM WILL ‘DIE TRYING’ TO REACH CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

by editor

Tottenham will “die trying” to qualify for the Champions League, says manager Mauricio Pochettino.

Fourth-placed Spurs’ lead over Chelsea has been cut to two points after taking only four points from their past four Premier League games.

Tottenham host Newcastle and Leicester in their final two games, with the top four assured of a place in the Champions League next season.

“It’s in our hands. We need to die to try to achieve that,” Pochettino said.

“It’s not, ‘we need to play like this, with two centre-backs or two strikers or two keepers’. It’s about the players dying trying to achieve it.”

Tottenham play Newcastle at Wembley on Wednesday at 20:00 BST, before hosting Leicester on Sunday.

Pochettino said playing in the Champions League is “the dream of everyone”.

“It’s massive because the Champions League is the best competition, with the Premier League, in the world,” the Argentine said.

“For me, it’s impossible to think and not give your best when it depends on you to win.”

Tottenham were runners-up to Chelsea in the Premier League last year, but were knocked out of this season’s Champions League in the last 16 by Juventus.

Pochettino, 46, said he “understood” fan concerns over missing out on a place in Europe’s premier club competition.

“It’s about being second, third, to fight for the top four – and if you keep going, keep going, taking the right decisions, you’ll be close to winning,” he added.

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte said on Tuesday that his priority this season is to qualify for the Champions League.

They host Huddersfield Town on Wednesday and travel to Newcastle on Sunday, before the FA Cup final against Manchester United on 19 May.

Champions Manchester City and runners-up Manchester United have qualified for the Champions League, while third-placed Liverpool are a point above Spurs with only one league game remaining.

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