Hugo Lloris will lead Tottenham Hotspur against West Ham United in Sunday’s derby at White Hart Lane and Mauricio Pochettino is adamant that his captain has the fortitude to continue despite the impact of the Paris atrocities.
Like many French people Lloris has suffered since last Friday but it fell to him, as the captain, to lead France in Tuesday’s emotionally turbulent fixture against England at Wembley.
Pochettino was at Wembley – as a guest of Roy Hodgson – and he was determined to show his solidarity, both with his players who were involved on both sides and, in broader terms, for the victims of the terrorist attacks.
He lived in the French capital when he played for Paris Saint-Germain and he said that one of his friends had been outside the Stade de France last Friday, when three suicide bombers blew themselves up close to the ground. Pochettino’s friend was not hurt but one passerby was killed.
“I didn’t need to ask Hugo if he wanted to play against West Ham because when he saw me, he said: ‘I want to play,’” Tottenham’s manager said. “It’s been very tough for him but he is strong. He is a bright guy with unbelievable personality and character. He is ready to play on Sunday and he wants to play because it’s the way to pay tribute to the people. And to show the respect.
“It was very difficult for him and all of the French players on Tuesday, and the English players, too. They were training at our training ground on Monday morning and you could feel that they were very sad to play.
“We said that if the game went ahead, we needed to be at the stadium to give support and solidarity. It was important to show that we are not scared. I think it was a good thing to play the game to show the world how we share values. For the English fans to sing the Marseillaise before the game was very good.”
Pochettino said that he had texted Lloris and Morgan Schneiderlin, the France midfielder, with whom he worked at Southampton, when he heard about the attacks during the friendly against Germany and he added that he had spoken a lot to his internationals since their return to the club – not only Lloris, but his English and Belgian players.
He said he is confident that all of them are in a good condition to play against West Ham and they agreed that the “best way to pay tribute to the people in Paris is to do our jobs, to play”.
Pochettino added: “All people are different and need different things. Some players you need to spend time with, and speak about things. But sometimes, you don’t need words, you only need to hug people, to put your arm around them. You know you have to be sensitive. It’s how you feel and the empathy you feel with different people.”
