Is it time for the real Spurs to turn up?
I think it is too late to speak about one week good, one week bad. The most important thing is that tomorrow we have the most important game of the season. We prepare well and we have to bounce back because the last week has been really tough. Tomorrow it is a really important, the players are looking forward [to it] under the lights in our stadium. I think we have to give everything to make the fans proud, the club proud and also make us proud.
Did you see enough in the first leg to feel confident?
If you don’t have confidence for this game then I think we should not play this game. Obviously it was a tough game. We started sloppy and conceded an early goal, obviously when you play away from home it is difficult when you start it 1-0 down. It was a tough game but afterwards I think we reacted quite well and had a couple of chances to make it happen. But in the Champions League everyone is preparing so well and all the teams are strong. Tomorrow it is a different game, we are playing at home and we should take all we have with a positive energy and great fans. We have to be better and be confident. We have to give everything together.
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What do you admire most about Milan?
They have good organisation. They play similar to us but in the Champions League I think all the teams are strong and well prepared. It is a kind of game with individual duels, a really tough game, and I am looking forward to playing this game.
How important is it to have Antonio Conte back?
It is important. I am glad to have him sitting next to me. He is back and bringing good energy for the team. When he was not here the staff did a good job but obviously when the boss is not here it is different. Yesterday we could feel the energy, and his passion, again. With him on the touchline the players will be more comfortable and he will give us an amazing boost and an amazing energy.
Has your tactical role changed and has that altered your stats?
I do what the team needs. I think my individual stats are not greatly important. The most important thing is teamwork and team spirit and to stick it altogether. Whatever the team needs, I will always be there. I know I can do much, much better things for my skills, my individual things. But at the moment and especially for tomorrow, I don’t think the individual things are important. Any kind of thing the team needs, I’ll be there suffering, fighting and scoring, I hope. I hope we can score a lot of goals to win this game.
Will you start tomorrow?
I don’t know. I don’t know the team yet so you should ask the manager. He has a better answer.
Is there a different mentality in coming off the bench?
Obviously every player wants to play at the start of the game. But when you play on the bench, most of the games, especially in these high-quality game, are changing in the second half when everyone is getting a little bit tired and a little bit fatigued.
I think everyone should get ready for every opportunity because football is playing for 90, or maybe tomorrow 120 minutes. Every second could bring an impact. For me it doesn’t really change anything because my mind is always ready to help the team.
How important is the game to turn the season around?
Every single game is important. But tomorrow could be our most important game of the season because it’s the Champions League knockout stage.
We are looking for it, obviously. Everyone dreams of playing in the Champions League. Words are not enough. We have to prepare well today. We should have a clear plan for tomorrow because we had a game a couple of weeks ago. I think this game, if we turn it around, I think it could be a changing of the season and give us a little bit more confidence and a boost.
Can this still be a good season? What is a good season?
We are all disappointed I know and we don’t want the fans to be disappointed. I think it was painful last week to get out of the FA Cup obviously. To be a good season, obviously we have to do our best things in what we still have at the moment. We are still in the Champions League and we are fighting for top four.
I think we can have a good season with the goals that we set up for the team and only going for that way, so otherwise it is going to be really, really poor and very sad. So I think we know what we have to do for the rest of the season. I think the future is not important. Only the most important thing is tomorrow, then we can talk again about the future.
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