Radja Nainggolan Admits it Hurts Seeing Spurs Reach Champions League Final After Group Stage Exit

​Inter midfielder Radja Nainggolan has said it hurts to see Tottenham Hotspur reach the Champions League final.


The Italian side were in the same group as Spurs in this season's Champions League but the Lilywhites progressed to the round of 16 stage at Inter's expense.


Tottenham had a terrible start to their Champions League campaign, failing to win any of their first three games, including a 2-1 defeat to Inter at San Siro.

Eric Dier,Radja Nainggolan

They were on the brink of elimination but won two of their last three games, including a 1-0 win over the ​Serie A giants at Wembley. Tottenham got a draw against ​Barcelona at Camp Nou on the final day of the group stages while Inter could only muster a draw at home against PSV, meaning they were eliminated from the competition due to the head-to-head away goals rule.


Nainggolan admitted that he was hurt by the manner of Inter's Champions League elimination and the fact that Tottenham are now in the final, labelling it the major disappointment of their season.


"I think we only have one regret, speaking of the team, and it is the exit in the Champions League because going on equal points with Tottenham and then seeing them in the final is something that certainly hurts a little," he told Tuttomercatoweb (via ​HITC).


Tottenham beat Borussia Dortmund 4-0 on aggregate in the round of 16 then overcame Manchester City 4-4 on away goals in the quarter finals, where in the second leg Raheem Sterling had a potential last-minute winner ruled out by VAR due to an offside in the build-up.

Luciano Spalletti,Radja Nainggolan

They then ​beat Ajax in the semi finals in even more dramatic circumstances, after losing the first leg 1-0 at home. Spurs found themselves 2-0 down in the second leg and 3-0 down on aggregate with 45 minutes remaining before Lucas Moura's hat trick.


Tottenham play ​Liverpool in the Champions League final on 1 June at Wanda Metropolitano in Madrid.


Source : 90min