Hugo Lloris says Tottenham are facing one of the most challenging periods since he joined the club after they crashed out of the Champions League at the last-16 stage with a crushing defeat to RB Leipzig on Tuesday night.
Spurs went down 3-0 at the Red Bull Arena and 4-0 on aggregate — with Lloris at fault for Marcel Sabitzer’s two first-half goals — to leave them with just the Premier League to play for.
Boss Jose Mourinho admitted it would be “very, very difficult” to return to the Champions League next term, with Spurs seven points behind fourth-placed Chelsea and four shy of Manchester United, who they play on Sunday.
Lloris has been through many peaks and troughs at Spurs, but the club captain says this is one of the toughest periods he has experienced.
“Yes, maybe, it’s part of football,” the Frenchman said. “It’s very difficult to find the consistency and stay up there, but it’s so easy to stay down. That’s why when you’re up there you need to do everything possible to stay up.
“For different reasons, we’re not at this level and we need to finish the season in a good way with a good feeling — that’s the best way to prepare for the next [season].
"Game by game we need to get back to winning ways. Sunday, that’s the main target, because we miss this feeling at the moment.”
Spurs reached the Champions League Final last season and asked if they could return to that level, Lloris added: “Yes, I believe.
"I know everything can change very quickly, but the focus is on the recovery and we have a few days to prepare for the big fight on Sunday.”
Spurs were missing six seniors players on Tuesday night — with Davinson Sanchez joining Harry Kane, Heung-min Son, Moussa Sissoko, Steven Bergwijn and Ben Davies on the sidelines — but, unlike Mourinho, Lloris refused to blame the defeat on injuries.
“Leipzig were much better than us and it was the case at Tottenham in the first leg,” he said. “Sometimes we need to accept that. It’s difficult as a professional.
"I’m not the kind of person who likes to hide the problem behind four or five players. Of course they’re important but we need to find a solution as a team. At the moment, we struggle a little bit. But we’re working every day to improve.
“It’s difficult but after a few years up there we have to manage the situation. It’s not about the injury problems."
