How does it feel to be back and what was it like watching from afar?
Yes, yesterday was positive and my feeling was really, really good. You know the importance for me to work with my players, to stay together and work with the staff and prepare for the game. From afar, I tried to stay very close to my staff and the players with the video and try to be linked. But, you know well, to be present is totally different. Totally different. I have to thank the whole staff, did a great job. Also, it wasn’t easy for the players to be three weeks without their coach. I know this.
Now I am back, I’m really happy and we have an important game. It’s a vital game for us because want to go to the next round. We will try to do it and, for this reason, I hope to feel an amazing atmosphere in our stadium. Many times our fans gave us the right boost to overcome a difficult situation. We are playing against a team that won the league in Italy, last season. We are talking about a really good team.
READ MORE: Harry Kane notices two problems with Tottenham's attack, the Lucas decision and Pedro Porro
You didn't look yourself in Milan, do you now feel 100%?
In myself, I was also well in the first game… For sure, I under evaluated the recovery after surgery. For my sense of responsibility I wanted to come back early but I under evaluated the surgery and maybe I over evaluated by body and myself. But now I am well. I have recovered energy. I have to still recover weight but for the rest, I am ok. My feeling is good. I have a lot of energy. I will try to transfer my energy to my players because it’s an important game for us. They know very well this. I repeat – we want to create a fantastic atmosphere tomorrow and to try to go to the next round.
Has this whole experience, serious illness and the operation, made you think differently about the future, the job. Has it put anything in perspective? Your life?
This type of situation can happen. I discovered after my surgery that many, many of my friends had the same surgery. For me, the difference was that I had an emergency surgery. It was not planned. It was different. For this reason, I needed more time, maybe, to recover well. But it’s OK. Previously, it happened a lot of sad news … when they said to me that I had only a surgery for this reason, I was happy because you never know when you are not in a good condition what will happen! This doesn’t change my mind. I repeat – I have to stay with the players, I have to breath this atmosphere at the training ground, to prepare the game, to stay with them.
Does the fact you are back for this Champions League game show how hungry you are and how important the game is in the context of Spurs season?
Honestly I wanted to come back after the game against Sheffield United but the doctor stopped me and said: ‘Now, you have to listen to us and wait two more days.’ Then on Sunday you come back to London for the game against Milan. For me, honestly, I wanted to come back early but in this case, I should respect the doctor and also Tottenham’s doctors because they were really worried after the game against Milan. The first-leg. For this reason I come back on Sunday. Now I repeat I am well. And yesterday I tried during the training session … I have a lot of energy and I want to transfer my energy to my players for this important game.
What was it like watching the Sheffield United game from home? Regret leaving out Kane?
For sure, it wasn't a good result. We had the possibility to go to the next round and try to fight for a trophy in the FA Cup this season. You know very well the importance of this trophy and you feel this trophy in England. Previously I played two finals of the FA Cup, one won, another lost. To play for this trophy was really important for us. The game was not good for us. But Sonny was very clear, now it's important not to look too much back. We have an important game tomorrow. We need to be positive. We need to learn from these negative situations.
We need to learn. If you don't learn anything about this type of defeats, it means you're ready to have another defeat next year. I hope after this type of negative game, the players learn a lot. About a defeat you can learn a lot. When you win, usually you're happy, you have not a lot to learn. After a defeat you have to learn a lot. We're really disappointed for what happened, especially for our fans because we know very well our fans expectation and they wanted to see the team lift the trophy. For this season, we're really disappointed.
After surgery you're advised not to go into stressful situations, how are your family feeling about you coming back into a big match like this?
The pressure, people we live for this type of game, we live for this moment. When the pressure is going up, it means that you level is going up. Don't forget last season we played Conference League and instead this season we are playing Champions League. We won our group, first leg we lost 1-0 and we have possibility tomorrow to beat Milan and then to go to next round.
I think for sure don't forget the past and to understand that we need to have step by step to improve the situation. Then if you ask me do I want to win Champions League? I say yes but then there is reality. We have to be ready to go game by game. Tomorrow the obstacle is Milan and we have to beat them by two goals if we want to go to the next round. The pressure is normal and we have to live with this type of pressure.
Maybe If there is one thing that we have to try to improve, the whole environment here is to live with the pressure. To live with the pressure, it can mean sometimes to be a bit stressed, not always be at peace with yourself, but to stress yourself and to put pressure in a positive way. I think that in this aspect we can improve a lot and whole environment can improve a lot in this aspect.
Can you save this season? What represents success for you this season?
You know very well that for me this season represents a success if we fight, if we fight to be competitive to win something. Yeah, I think this has to be our target. Tottenham as a club has to need this target every season, to fight for something important, to fight to win. But you know to win is not easy. It is not simple and I think we are in the country where it is the most difficult country to win something because in the Premier League the level is really top and you have a lot of teams that want to win.
Many teams that are going to improve year by year and for sure we have to try to be prepared to improve the level and in my opinion about myself every season I want to fight to be competitive to win something. If this not happen, it is not positive for me.
READ NEXT:
Tottenham's summer goalkeeper transfer shortlist revealed with Hugo Lloris future to be decided
- Daniel Levy admits transfer mistakes as Tottenham reveal financial results
- Spurs provide latest update on new hotel and homes at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium complex
- Tottenham's £150m ENIC capital increase explained, how much has been taken and what happens next
- Antonio Conte sending hints about his Tottenham future, chaos in Milan and Spurs' stability woes
