Mauricio Pochettino has spoken of the disappointment that he felt when his side were defeated in June's Champions League final against Liverpool, describing the loss as one of the worst moments in his career.
Having secured dramatic victories over Manchester City and Ajax at the quarter-final and semi-final stages respectively, Tottenham came up short in the final, losing 2-0 thanks to goals from Mohamed Salah and Divock Origi.
Reflecting on the final, Pochettino admitted he had to go back 17 years to think of a point that had made him feel as low in football.
"I compare with summer 2002, when we drew with Sweden and were beaten by England in the group stage at World Cup, within one week. As a player and as a manager both are the worst moments in my career", the former Argentina defender told the Evening Standard
Looking back at the aftermath of Tottenham's defeat, Pochettino revealed how he struggled to come to terms with what had happened when he returned to his Spanish home over the summer, having felt that his side outperformed Liverpool
"I took a train from Madrid to Barcelona the day after. I spent 10 days in my home and didn't want to go out. Yes, it was tough because you nearly touched the glory. Always you try to analyse but in the end it's the small details that make the difference. I thought we were better than Liverpool."
Tottenham start their Premier League
"The moment you move on the fire inside starts to appear again," he said. "We love to compete and to win and now the final is in the past."
Source : 90min