Spurs target a Champions League place via back door
TOTTENHAM boss Mauricio Pochettino is focused on the bigger picture as Spurs take their first step towards securing Europa League football this season with a first-leg qualifier against AEL in Cyprus tonight.
Pochettino dismissed the Europa League as an unattractive competition while in the Southampton hotseat but has changed his tune now a rule change has seen a Champions League place up for grabs for the winners.
Spurs reached the last-16 of the Europa League last season before bowing out to eventual finalists Benfica, and Pochettino now sees the tournament in a different light and a more welcome distraction.
“The Europa League now gives the possibility to play in the Champions League and it’s now a more interesting competition than before,” said Pochettino.
“Before, if you won the Europa League you never had that chance but now with that change, it’s a more interesting competition.”
Pochettino began his Spurs reign with a last-gasp win at West Ham in the London derby on Saturday, courtesy of a stoppage time strike from debutant Eric Dier after Kyle Naughton’s first-half dismissal.
And despite the extra incentive connected to this season’s Europa League, the 42-year-old Argentine is refusing to accept it represents Spurs’ only route into Europe’s premier club.
“The Europa League is only one more chance, you still have the Premier League and our aim is to win every competition,” he added.
Spurs are bidding to progress to the Europa League group stage for the fourth season on the spin and Pochettino could well use the two-legged tie against last year’s Cypriot runners-up to shuffle his pack with QPR at White Hart Lane on Sunday.
Belgium trio Jan Vertonghen, Mousa Dembele and Nacer Chadli together with Brazil midfielder Paulinho did not feature at Upton Park following their World Cup exertions in the summer, while Roberto Soldado, Michael Dawson and new signing Ben Davies were unused substitutes.
The White Hart Lane side have often used the competition to blood the club’s youngsters, with the likes of forward Harry Kane and Zeki Fryers cutting their teeth last season.
AEL’s domestic campaign starts on Sunday but they did claim the scalp of former Spurs boss Andre Villas-Boas’ Zenit St Petersburg last month in the first leg of their Champions League third round qualifier, before the Russian side turned the tables in the second leg to win 3-1 on aggregate.
THE AEL FACTFILE
Who are Spurs playing tonight?
Ground: Tsirion Stadium
Capacity: 13,331
Colours: Royal blue shirts with yellow sleeves, shorts and socks
Coach: Ivaylo Petev
Last season: Finished top of the first phase standings in the Cypriot first division with 62 points before losing to APOEL in the title decider
Route to this round: Lost 3-1 on aggregate to Zenit St Petersburg in the Champions League third qualifying round
Honours: Six Cypriot league title and six Cypriot Cups