Mauricio Pochettino fired up Tottenham for their showdown with Manchester City by admitting it's the biggest game of his life as a coach.
Spurs' head coach could put a dent in City's bid for an unprecedented Quadruple in the Champions League first leg tonight – the first of three meetings in 11 days.
Asked if his first European Cup quarter-final was the biggest game of his life, Pochettino said: “Yes – as a coach, yes.
“For us it's a bonus to be here, to have the possibility to play in the quarter-finals with all the circumstances, and the objective is to be in the semi-final.”
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Pochettino's enduring respect for City counterpart Pep Guardiola has not diminished his burning desire to claim only a third win in 15 head-to-head meetings.
Although he was careful not to ramp up expectations with unguarded hype, Pochettino admitted: “City are a very, very good team and it's going to be tough, the games against him... sorry, them.
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“We need to start being tough and aggressive, put a high tempo on the game and hope the atmosphere will be tough for our opponents.”
Tottenham hold the key to City's chances of a clean sweep of major trophies because their two-legged Champions League tie is followed by a Premier League clash at the Etihad.
