Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Sport
Malik Ouzia

‘Tottenham players needed some days off, but not for me’ - Jose Mourinho says he doesn't need a winter break

Jose Mourinho insists he does not need a midseason rest, after using Tottenham’s weekend off to go on a scouting mission in Germany.

Spurs are currently enjoying their first Premier League winter break, with ten days between their FA Cup fourth round replay win over Southampton last week and a trip to Villa Park in the Premier League on Sunday.

Mourinho has given his players some time off, rather than heading overseas for a training camp like some other Premier League sides, but kept up his own workload by heading to Munich to watch Bayern’s 0-0 draw with RB Leipzig, who Spurs play in the last 16 of the Champions League later this month.

"The players needed some days off,” he told Sky Sports. “For their body and soul they needed a rest. But not for me.

"I think the best way to try and help the team is to work.

"It's very important. I can see small details. Even the warm-ups. I can see what TV and video don't give me. To see the warm-ups and to see what the players do individually.

"Some skills that sometimes during the game are hidden. It's a different intensity. It's a different experience. I couldn't miss the opportunity."

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.