Jose Mourinho has made a claim about Tottenham’s Europa League aspirations that might surprise some Spurs fans.
Jose Mourinho does not miss an opportunity to attack Spurs
Since being sacked unceremoniously sacked by Tottenham, Mourinho has not missed an opportunity to have a go at the club and their hierarchy.
He regularly points out the fact that Spurs are the only club where he failed to win a trophy and that he was sacked just before the Carabao Cup final in 2021.
However, the Portuguese coach has now surprisingly played up Tottenham’s chances of winning a trophy this season.
Mourinho on Spurs’ Europa League chances
Ahead of Fenerbahce’s Europa League showdown against Manchester United on Thursday, the special one designated two of his former sides as the favourites to go all the way.
He suggested that the strength and the quality of the Premier League make the Red Devils and Spurs the top contenders to lift the trophy in Bilbao next May.
Mourinho said (via Reuters): “If I have to say now which are the two biggest candidates to win the Europa League, I think it’s easy – Manchester United and Tottenham.
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“The Premier League is a different level of quality, intensity, pace, tactical culture – a different level of everything. Tomorrow, I think we are going to play against one of the two strongest teams.”
Tottenham hope to seal direct passage to the final 16
In the new format of the Europa League, teams who finish in the top eight will directly advance to the round of 16 while teams who finish from ninth to 24th will have to play an additional knockout round.
Ange Postecoglou’s men will be keen to avoid playing two further games, given how congested their fixture list would be at the start of next year.
Tottenham are one of just five teams with a 100 per cent record in the competition so far and they will want that to continue against Alkmaar.