Mauricio Pochettino has insisted Tottenham Hotspur can now “fight” for trophies as he returns to Florence 12 months after last season’s Europa League knockout.
This season’s Europa League mission has been damaged by the loss of Hugo Lloris with a shoulder injury, with deputy Michel Vorm to make only his sixth appearance of the season in the first leg on Thursday evening.
Lloris, the Spurs goalkeeper and captain, will also miss Sunday’s FA Cup tie against Crystal Palace but Pochettino is determined to compete on three fronts and underline Spurs’s vast improvement over the last year.
Spurs sit second in the Premier League table Photo: Reuters/Lee Smith
Spurs are genuine contenders for the Premier League title after their excellent win at Manchester City and will face Fiorentina with Pochettino expected to name another strong starting XI at the Stadio Artemio Franchi.
“The Europa League is very important for us and when you are a big club like Tottenham Hotspur you need to fight in every competition and every game,” he said.
“We are second in the league and that gives us an opportunity to fight for the title but my priority is Thursday. The Premier League is a few weeks away and I don’t think too much about the future, it’s always the next game.
“We now have the experience to fight in all competitions and we have improved a lot. We are still the youngest squad in the Premier League and it’s still not enough but we can be happy with our philosophy.
“We are a different team from last season and we want to try and win the game and show that we are better.”
There is a feeling of anticipation around White Hart Lane
Spurs were knocked out at this stage by last season by their Serie A opponents and Paulo Sousa, the Fiorentina head coach, has admitted this game has the feel of a Champions League tie.
That competition is the ultimate goal for Pochettino and Daniel Levy, the Spurs chairman, as they bid to build on a year of steady progress.
“We need to work next season to try and play in the Champions League,” he said. “In England it’s very tough in the Premier League and to also play Capital One and FA Cup.
“The most tough period in England is Christmas, we play every two to three days and this is very different, completely different from France or Spain. But today we have a good mix and balance and every game we play is the priority and a challenge.”
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