Pochettino: avoiding Europa League could help us

Spurs manager says they would be closer to league’s top four without Europe

Mauricio Pochettino has admitted the Europa League is a hindrance to a Premier League club’s domestic aspirations. The Tottenham Hotspur manager has endured a 10-game campaign in Europe’s second-tier cup competition this season – which got them no further than the last 32 – and he is closing in on a return to it.

Pochettino did not say whether he would welcome the Europa League next term but, from his comments, it would be safe to deduce he would not. Tottenham will qualify again if they finish in the league’s top seven – unless they were to finish seventh and Aston Villa beat Arsenal in the FA Cup final.

Uefa has made a change to the qualifying criteria and the FA Cup runners-up will no longer be granted a Europa League slot. Arsenal are almost certain to take one of England’s four Champions League places.

“The Europa League is not an easy competition, it’s a very tough competition because it affects your domestic league,” Pochettino said. “It was my opinion when I was at Southampton, when I was asked a lot about this and, having had a Europa League season, I can now confirm that it is very difficult to manage the Europa League with the Premier League and both cups.”

Pochettino highlighted the cases of Liverpool last season and Manchester United this season as examples of clubs having benefited in terms of top-four pushes from a lack of European football. Liverpool finished second last season and United are on course for a top-four finish.

Pochettino was asked whether Tottenham may be closer to the top four if they had not had to play in the Europa League. “Maybe,” he replied. “I think that you spend a lot of energy when you play in the Europa League and it’s not easy.

“It’s true that the experience of last season with Liverpool and now with Manchester United – I think that is a clear example that you will have the opportunity to stay closer to the top four, if you only have to focus on the Premier League and the cups.”

Pochettino takes his team back to Southampton on Saturday, with Tottenham sitting sixth, one point and one place above his former club. Hugo Lloris, the goalkeeper, faces a fitness test on his knee, while Kyle Walker has been ruled out for the final weeks of the season with a foot problem.

“In football, you need to try and take the positive result and always win,” Pochettino said. “If you achieve the Europa League, it might not be the dream of the club or the supporters but you need to play it because it is good for the financial side of the club.

“We need to try and build a strong team for next season to fight for the top four. We need to be clever, to analyse after the end of the season and move quick to build the team. If we achieve Europa League or not, we need to move quick.”


By David Hytner / Guardian