Jose, congratulations on qualifying
for the last sixteen with yet another team in the Champions League, you said
this is a special occasion, a special competition for you, what are your
feelings after this game today? It was a roller coaster of a ride wasn't it?
Yeah, the first thing is the most difficult moment of the game for me, was not when
Olympiakos score the first or the second goal, the most
difficult moment of the game for me was when I made the change in the first half
hurt the player but hurt myself, not easy for the player but not also easy for
myself, it is important that the player understands and I was lucky that my
choice was a very intelligent boy in the boy that has a very good
understanding of what the team is because I did it for the team
was not about his performance, was about what the team needs we are losing 2-0
we are in a very difficult situation at that moment and I felt that in this
moment one positional midfield player was more than enough, I think I need at that
time a second creative player, a player that could could play with Alli in that
triangle an open triangle like I used to call it and not with a
closed triangle like we were with Dier and
and Harry Winks, so I had to do it for the team and again I apologise for Eric
in spite of he knows that I did for the team and not with an intention to
hurt him and I think also the fans they understood they understood that I did it
for the team and in the end the team is the most important thing and
Christian gave us what we needed that at that time
Jose, hola, congratulations [thank you] what did you tell to the players in the halftime
because they acted.. the team was better much better than the second 45 minutes?
I think if you wait a few months and you buy the Amazon movie you will
you will get it but had to be, had to be a soft version of myself because it was
a bit of a surprise for me but I felt that the players self-esteem
self-confidence, playing at home with not the best results probably with with the
Bayern game behind, behind their thoughts, I felt that they were in need of some
love at that time and not and not the critical one but more than one to give
them a little bit of emotional balance. after that yes we had a little talk
about a few tactical details, a few tactical position adjustments that I
think was more about their confidence to face a difficult difficult situation and to go for it
Hi Jose, the third goal the ball boy was very instrumental in the build-up to that
goal, had you discussed anything with the ball boys?
[the second goal] the second goal sorry, had you
discussed anything with them? to get the ball back in play quickly?
To do that he will have to be a very good ball boy, I was between my ten and fifteen sixteen year old I
was a very good ball boy and the kid is a very good ball boy, understands the
game, reads the game, is not there just to to look to the stands or to the lights
or to the scarfs, he is there living the game and playing the game very very well
in the end I wanted to invite him for the dressing room to celebrate with us but
he disappears, I don't know where he is but very good ball boy, very good really
Jose what do you learn about your players tonight? because obviously
in the first half, for the first half an hour
there was difficult moments but then from then they showed the fighting spirit
that I suppose would be very important for you guys moving forward
To learn I don't think I learn, I just think that they went through a few phases where you can take some conclusions
as a start I think some of them they were really tired, I think to come from
the national team to play on a Saturday to play in Tuesday is very hard, I always
feel, I always wish that after national teams you play on the Sunday and then on
the Wednesday, when you do Saturday and Tuesday it's hard I think some of them were
tired, then I think the facts have considered an early goal at home, they
are not in a moment of great self esteem where okay
1-0 no problem, no problem we keep playing
not at all, I think there was a little bit of a bad feeling amongst the players
the fans were fantastic because the reaction was not to put more
pressure on them, was really to support them and then you know the way
they react to the second half, to the preparation of the second half the way
they come from behind to go with everything and knowing that a draw
would give us the qualification because Bayern was winning and we knew that, so
the draw wouldn't be a drama because with qualifiers but not to accept the
draw go for more, go for the victory, go in the search not just of the
qualification but going the search of happiness of self-esteem of confidence
and we did that, so you know I expect next game at home I expect the boys to
to start without ghosts you know, to start immediately open and
confident to play because the players are very very very good players, so we
have to play better than than we did in the first half, we have to play better
Jose what did you make of your
first experience as Tottenham's manager in this stadium and you seemed to enjoy the
goals in the second half there and a lot of positivity from the home fans?
You know I think again that it's not about
me it's about the team, I just want to help, the fans help, I help, the ball boy help
you know everybody that loves Spurs help, the players, the players are the
most important, the most important thing but of course my feeling was great
especially because was one of these matches where I had to play you know
some matches you play before the match, the way you prepare the team, you work
you train, you prepare, then the game starts and your action during the game
is not very very important, in other matches you have to play and I had to
play, so apart of an awful feeling in relation to Eric, apart of that
awful feeling everything was great for me
and I think my victory eighty in the Champions League, so let's go for the 81
Thank you