Qualifying for the Champions League is not enough, admits Pochettino

Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino has insisted that qualifying for the Champions League is no longer “enough” for his side. 

Spurs have qualified for Europe’s biggest competition for the past three years and once again they will compete with some of the continent’s finest.

Last season, Spurs impressed, securing group-stage victories over both Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund before losing out to Serie A champions Juventus in the Round of 16.

This year will be the first time Spurs play their football at their new stadium, and they will be hoping to build upon the progress of the last few seasons under Pochettino.

Pochettino himself believes that although a top-four finish is an achievement, a club of Tottenham’s talent and standing should be aiming for more than simply qualifying for respective tournaments.

Speaking to the Mail, the Spurs boss said: “I’m here to win. The reality is to win and to have the argument about whether you have the tools to win is a different matter.

“We have had massive success at the club, getting Champions League for a third year in a row.

“But maybe that is not enough and maybe we need to change certain things because for me it is not enough.

“I want to challenge and fight to win things until the end, that moment when my chairman Daniel Levy says to me, ‘Mauricio, go home and find another project’.

“Winning is my concern and I feel responsible after four years with the club to try to achieve this.

“To compete at that level and challenge the big sides that have focused on improving their teams, while the reality for us has been improving our facilities, such as building the training ground and new stadium, I think it is not fair to compare us with these kind of clubs.

“We are competing in the same race but in a different way.

“In football all can happen. We have come close but our opponents are at a level where every year they improve.

“We will keep pushing with different energy and different tools.”

Tottenham’s first match of the season is away to Newcastle United this Saturday at 3pm.

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