Ange Postecoglou has stated that the Europa League represents a great opportunity for Tottenham Hotspur to turn around their disappointing season, with several key players set to return for Thursday’s last-16 first-leg clash against AZ Alkmaar in the Netherlands.
Tottenham, currently 13th in the Premier League, have struggled with injuries to important players such as Dominic Solanke, Micky van de Ven, and Cristian Romero and have already been knocked out of both domestic cup competitions.
Despite these setbacks, Postecoglou remains optimistic about the team’s chances in Europe.
The north London club has not won a major trophy since claiming the 2008 League Cup and last tasted European success in 1984 when they triumphed in the UEFA Cup, the predecessor to the Europa League.
However, Spurs are hopeful that the competition can offer a chance to reignite their campaign and build on Postecoglou’s record of success in his second season at previous clubs.
Although Postecoglou declined to confirm whether any of the returning players would feature in the starting lineup, he emphasised that the club was focused on advancing further in the competition. “For us, there’s an opportunity here, and we’ll see how far we can go,” he said.
Postecoglou also highlighted the importance of securing a positive result in the first leg, aiming to take an advantage back to Tottenham for the return fixture.
“We have to play our football and dictate the tempo of the game,” he explained, drawing on his previous experience in the Europa League with Celtic.
