Eriksen wanted to go on pre-season tour; Trippier was keen to discover new things
Friday 19 July 2019 09:04, UK
Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino admits he probably would have left the club had they won the Champions League final last season.
Pochettino has had five successful seasons at Tottenham, establishing the club as a force in both the Premier League and Europe, with the pinnacle of his Spurs career to date guiding them to last season's Champions League final.
However, the 2-0 defeat to Liverpool in Madrid seemingly prevented the Argentine from leaving the club this summer.
Pochettino said: "Maybe if it was a different result after the final you can think, 'OK, maybe this is a moment to step out of the club, leave the club and give them the possibility of a really new chapter with a new coaching staff''.
"But after the final I felt this was not great to finish like this. I'm not a person that avoids facing problems or a difficult situation.
"I love a massive challenge, a difficult challenge and of course now to rebuild that mentality to make it possible to repeat a similar season, that is exciting and motivates me a lot."
Asked if he could have made a different decision had Spurs won the Champions League, Pochettino admitted: "For sure.
"You know very much when you touch glory you behave differently or you feel different or the players feel different and the challenge becomes different."
'Eriksen wanted to come on tour'
Tottenham have already acted in the transfer window this summer making Jack Clarke from Leeds and club-record signing Tanguy Ndombele from Lyon their first additions for 517 days.
However, key midfielder Christian Eriksen has been rumoured with a move away from Spurs this summer after admitting he would like to 'try something new', although he has travelled with the squad to Singapore for pre-season friendlies against Juventus and Manchester United.
Pochettino said: "It's difficult for me to talk for the comment of the player, I wasn't there, I don't know. To be honest during my holiday I didn't want to listen and see the media.
"Christian is here because I think he expects to play maybe Sunday against Juventus or Man United because he had a small, minor surgery after the final. That is why today rather than train with the group, he trained alone to try to avoid risk and it is possible to play Sunday.
"We gave him the option to stay in London but he wanted to come because the medical staff decided that he was available to play maybe and that is why he's here. It was his decision with the club and medical staff."
Pochettino on full-back situation
Tottenham have already lost a key player from their run to the final last year after England right-back Kieran Trippier completed a £21.7m move to Atletico Madrid.
Pochettino said: "It was Kieran's decision. He communicate the day before we travelled here and he told me that he accept an offer from Atletico Madrid and in the end it was the club who communicated with me that they had agreed a deal. I wasn't involved in all this discussion in the last week.
"He loved to be at Tottenham and work with us but at 28, 29, sometimes a player needs to discover need things and new challenges."
Meanwhile, left-back Danny Rose has been left behind from the tour to 'explore' a move away from the club amid interest from Paris Saint-Germain.
Pochettino added: "Danny is still our player and of course for different reasons (Georges-Kevin) Nkoudou and Vincent Janssen they deal with the club with, of course with Daniel (Levy) and the agents to take a little bit more time there to fix different problems.
"After 10 days after we play Man United and Juventus, when we come back to London if they are, they are going to be in a normal way with the team.
"It's about expectation, challenge, it's about a player-club decision. Of course, it's difficult for me like in the past in the last five years to be involved in this type of decision It is more of a club decision but we need to listen to the player and the club is going to do what the club need to do in every circumstance.
"I told Daniel (Levy) 'I'm going to be happy with the squad which you provide me to work'. I am a happy man working with 25 players only, we are going to have 25 players to work with for sure. I was happy and I am going to be happy."
