How much of a challenge is Champions League and European success to you?
I think success in Europe with a trophy is important for every manager. You know very well that it's not simple, not easy because to lift a trophy in Europe, especially in Champions League, it's important also to be the coach, the manager - or you have more probability to win it if you are in a team that's used to win. It's normal.
Two years ago we lost the Europa League final to Sevilla. But for sure in my heart, in my mind, in my ambition, there is the will to have success in Europe. I know very well that it’s difficult but at the same time, I have this ambition.
Do Italian managers always look at the league title first?
No. We have Carlo Ancelotti, no?! We have this example, he lift a lot of time the Champions League but he lifted the Champions League when he was in Real Madrid, when he was in Milan when Milan were a really, really top team. I remember also a final I lost against him when I was in Juventus and he was in Milan.
I repeat it depends a lot on the team you are coaching because in this type of competition, the experience, the story means a lot because for this reason, Real Madrid is always protagonist.
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Can you just remind us about that final?
About the final? I remember it was my last final in the Champions League because I played in four, I won only once, and it was my last final in my career. It was in Manchester United and it finished 0-0. I hit the crossbar with a header and it was unlucky and we lost with a penalty.
And Ancelotti the previous season was Juventus, then he changed and went to be the coach with Milan and I think he had a big, big revenge, yeah.
Thoughts on coming up against your former Juventus teammate Igor Tudor?
About Igor? Igor is a friend and we played together for Juventus for many years. He’s a really good guy. I am really happy to see him on the bench in an important club in Europe like Marseille. He did very well last season in Verona and yeah, he’s doing a really good job.
He likes to work a lot and his team has a very clear idea and I wish all the best for him and Marseille apart from these two games against us.
What are expectation for Spurs in Champions League?
First of all we are talking today at a Champions League press conference for what we did last season and I think last season we did a fantastic job. Honestly it was difficult only to think about playing Champions League this season. Instead, for the work we did with great compactness between, we got this achievement.
We must enjoy to play in this great competition in Europe. But we have to play to try and do our best. You know my thought: we have to play with great ambition, great passion and with great will to be a protagonist in this competition.
I know very well this tournament is really difficult - the most difficult in the world. But at the same time it’s a great opportunity for us to show we are going in the right way and taking steps forward and we want to try to improve and give satisfaction to our fans and ourselves.
At Juve you said that competing in the Champions League was like being in a 100 euro a head restaurant with only 10 euros in your pocket. Do you think Spurs now have the resources and squad to compete in the Champions League and Premier League?
First of all I said this in my second season in Juventus. We won the league as the underdog and then they asked me in the second season to try to win the Champions League. The people who know very well football understand you need a process, an important process, to the work, on the pitch, outside the pitch. But at the same time you need to invest because in this competition you play against the teams with the best players and the best coaches.
If you want to fight for something important, I don’t say to stay on the same level but not so far [below]. For sure the story of a lot of clubs in this competition is really really big. And to think … to be the same level, in this moment, is unthinkable but it has to be for us a big push to try and improve and reduce the gap and try to fight for something important.
But the story is very important in football because as I said to you before, Real Madrid, when the players play in Champions League they are in their house, they breath the atmosphere, they know the way to manage the situation and probably during the season they reach at least the semi-final in every season. To win the Champions League, it means you are, every season, you are a team that lives in this competition, [it’s] your habitat, your natural habitat. Other teams have to build and go step by step but with ambition.
Is history more important than money in Champions League?
Yeah but about Chelsea in the last 10 years, they won twice the Champions League and one Europa League. Money, history (goes) together but usually a top team is also a top team because they have good money to invest and then become a top team. Chelsea was a clear example because in the past, before the Abramovich era (no history) and it is the same for Man City.
Before the arrival of the new owner (no history). When an owner arrives that invests a lot of money, then you create history in the resulting period and then you probably lift trophy if you match money, investment and also the work. Don't forgot the work because you can put a lot of money but then you have to work in the right way. This has to be very clear.
This game is the start of 17 games in just under ten weeks for all clubs in Champions League, what do you think of the schedule and how crazy is it to try and manage that?
Honestly to see this schedule about Tottenham is incredible, It's crazy. We played three games in six days against Nottingham Forest, West Ham and Fulham, now we are playing after four days but we are starting to then play three important games against Marseille Champions League, City away, Sporting Lisbon away in six days. I think maybe first time in my career to see a schedule like this.
Honestly I try to check the schedule of other teams and I have seen that in this situation Tottenham analysed a lot, our club our team. I think in the future in this situation we were unlucky. I think in the future also I speak with club that we have to pay great attention to speak also with Premier League because we have to pay attention when there are this type of schedule.
One day more, one day less can change totally your life as you can drop points and I think this is not good for team like Tottenham. When you want to start to think as a winner you have to take care of the details. The schedule details is very important for every club, especially for club who want to fight for something important. I think we can do much better for the future.
You had some things to say on VAR at West Ham, how worried were you about what you saw at Chelsea and Newcastle at the weekend?
You know what I said in the past about the VAR. I think to go again is not right but I can tell you only that my hope that they go to improve and try to find the right line of the decision. Because in this moment the line is not the same line and the same vision and this is really dangerous.
This is really dangerous because in this way you risk to give advantage to some teams and penalise other teams. I think the VAR has to be something to help the referees, not to help the referees to make mistakes. Otherwise it is nonsense to have VAR and to use VAR in this way.
What is the team news on Lucas Moura and Bryan Gil?
Moura is not available, not still available. I think tomorrow he starts to have a training session on the pitch. He has this inflammation in his tendon and I hope to recover him very soon because especially up front we need him.
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