Hugo Lloris has urged Tottenham Hotspur to build on their Champions League final run, rather than “throw[ing] everything in the bin” after they lost the final 2-0 to Liverpool last night.
Spurs are heading into a period of reflection after Saturday’s final, but captain Lloris urged the club not to be too down-hearted with the result. Because they have been continually building under Mauricio Pochettino’s five years at the club, and this year’s Champions League run was proof of that.
Asked whether Spurs should follow Liverpool’s example and spend big in response to their Champions League final defeat, Lloris said that the club had their own project, but that they should trust in their ability to keep on improving regardless.
“There is one club [Liverpool] who sets out to win every competition in which they play, and that is not the case with Tottenham,” Lloris said. “We work and try to stick with the [influence] of the board, manager and the club. We look to improve every season and we have shown improvements year after year, so we now cannot throw everything in the bin after a Champions League final defeat. It’s been a big step for the club and the only thing we can look to do is come back stronger next season.”
As hard as it was for Spurs to lose the final, this was the first major final of the Pochettino era, and it does represent serious progress. Before this season Spurs had not got past the last-16 of the competition. “I think it was painful for everyone, to bring Tottenham to a Champions League final will never match the feeling of winning it,” Lloris said. “But it is a very positive thing and we have to build from that in the future to take the club to where it wants to go.
But given the unlikeliness of Spurs’ run to the final, Lloris admitted the feeling of regret, because the players don’t know when they might next get to play in a game like this. “Getting to the Champions League final was a very big and emotional thing,” he said. “It is difficult for us to end the season in this way because you never know when you will get the opportunity to win this type of competition again.”.”
