Skip to content

Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino targets Europa League success

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Mauricio Pochettino admits he's frustrated that Tottenham were the only English side to be knocked out of the Champions League group stage

Mauricio Pochettino says the Europa League is "important" to Tottenham after they qualified for the competition with a 3-1 win over CSKA Moscow on Wednesday.

The convincing victory at Wembley ensured Spurs finished third in Champions League Group E behind Monaco and Bayer Leverkusen and they will now be in the draw for the last 32 of the Europa League on Monday.

Although it will mean playing on Thursday nights when the competition resumes in 2017, Spurs boss Pochettino does not see it as a "consolation" prize.

"We need to move ahead, we have the opportunity to play more here, and that's important to make Wembley our home," said Pochettino, whose side will play all their home matches at the national stadium next season as White Hart Lane is being developed.

LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 07:  Harry Kane of Tottenham Hotspur celebrates scoring his sides second goal during the UEFA Champions League Group E match bet
Image: Harry Kane scored Spurs' second goal

"The Europa League is a good competition to go far. We believe we can win that competition and in the Premier League we can go far, near the top."

Having fallen behind against CSKA to Alan Dzagoev's 33rd-minute strike, Spurs replied through Dele Alli and Harry Kane before half-time.

An own goal from Igor Akinfeev made sure of the win as Spurs won at Wembley for the first time this season at the third time of asking.

Also See:

When is the draw for the Europa League?
When is the draw for the Europa League?

Details on when the Europa League draw takes place to who Spurs could face

It was also the first time they have won back-to-back matches since the start of October and Pochettino says his side are "starting to show their real quality".

"We struggled in the last month and a half because we have some problems, but we have all the squad nearly fit and we are stronger," he commented.

Live Nissan Super Sunday

"You can feel the team is recovering that feeling that we can win every game. We have recovered that feeling maybe that we lost when it's true, it was a bit of a struggle to compete.

"We need all the players fit to be strong and to compete in tough competitions like the Premier League and Champions League and it was unlucky that our struggle arrived in a busy period with important games."

Around Sky