Mauricio Pochettino last night made the staggering admission that he would consider his future if Tottenham were to win the Champions League.
Spurs will book a place in the final on June 1 if they can overturn a 1-0 first-leg deficit in tonight’s semi-final second leg here against Ajax.
But Pochettino has dropped a bombshell by appearing to suggest he would review his future if Spurs lift the trophy in Madrid next month because the achievement simply could not be bettered.
‘Winning the Champions League? It should be fantastic, no? I could close the five-year chapter and go home,’ said Pochettino. Asked to clarify, the Tottenham manager indicated there was substance to remarks.
‘It’s not a joke,’ he said. ‘Why? To win the Champions League with Tottenham, in this circumstance, in this season, maybe I need to think a little bit to do something different in the future, for sure.’
Meanwhile, Jan Vertonghen is set to play with a protective mask against his former club tonight after his sickening three-way collision with team-mate Toby Alderweireld and Ajax goalkeeper Andre Onana during the first half of the first leg.
Vertonghen has been cleared of concussion but suffered a gash to his nose that required stitches.
‘He didn’t suffer more than a cut on his nose,’ added Pochettino. ‘It was no more than that. A lot of players keep playing in the same situation. It wasn’t a big issue.’
Colombian defender Davinson Sanchez, however, will miss tonight’s clash with a thigh injury suffered during Saturday’s 1-0 Premier League defeat at Bournemouth.