Mauricio Pochettino admits he stayed inside for 10 days after suffering defeat in the Champions League final against Liverpool and hit golf balls in a bid to overcome the disappointment.
Tottenham lost 2-0 in Madrid to their Premier League rivals, falling short of a first European Cup, with goals from Mohamed Salah and Divock Origi clinching the win for Jurgen Klopp’s side.
And the Argentine concedes the days that followed were miserable and a challenge to overcome.
“We talked every day to find the reason,” Pochettino explained (via the Mail). ”Always you try to analyse, but in the end the analysis is different.
“It’s the small details that make the difference. It was difficult, the three weeks to prepare were unbelievable and then you are massively disappointed in the way you lose.
“Then you need to go home — I took a train from Madrid to Barcelona the day after.
“I spent 10 days in my house and didn’t want to go out. It was so tough because we nearly touched glory.
“I tried to play golf after a few days — not to play, to swing. I was focused with my son to try to hit the ball perfectly but it was impossible.
Pochettino was helped by his family and eventually reflected on his “Fantastic Tottenham” after praise from around Europe after their incredible run.
“My family tried to lift me, but they were in the same situation as me. Then I started to move on.
“The people that appreciated our job also helped. In Spain, English fans in restaurants in Madrid, also in Ibiza, people from Liverpool, people from Tottenham, different football people said: ‘Fantastic Tottenham’.
“That started to build happiness again because people recognised our job was fantastic.”
