Lloris brands Tottenham a ‘disgrace’ amid deep problems at EPL club
Hugo Lloris has branded Tottenham’s shock Europa League exit a “disgrace” and claims that the 3-0 defeat to Dinamo Zagreb reflects “what’s going on in the club”.
Mislav Orsic scored a brilliant hat-trick as Dinamo produced a remarkable fightback to dump Spurs out of the Europa League on Thursday night.
The Croatian side trailed 2-0 after the first leg of their last-16 tie but hit back to win the return 3-0 after extra time and snatch a place in the quarter-final draw.
Jose Mourinho’s Spurs looked set to prevail after holding the hosts in a goalless opening half at the Maksimir Stadium but Orsic gave Zagreb hope with a fine long-range just after the hour.
He then levelled the tie by finishing off a fine team move seven minutes from time and capped a fine comeback following a superb solo run in extra time.
Lloris had no excuses for Spurs fans after the game, with the club captain suggesting to BT Sport that there are problems both on and off the pitch at the club.
Asked how he and the team were after their Europa exit, a disconsolate Lloris replied: “Good question, I think we are all more than disappointed.
“It is just a disgrace. I just hope everyone in the training room feels responsible of the situation because it’s a disgrace.
“No what can I say more about it? Talking about the game of Sunday, I think it’s not the right moment. The taste of the defeat tonight is just more than painful, and we are all responsible.”
Asked whether it was a more painful defeat than Sunday’s north London derby loss to Arsenal, he replied: “It’s just accumulation. Obviously we are a club full of ambition, but I just think the team at the moment is just a [reflection] of what’s going on in the club.
“We have lack of basics, lack of fundamentals, and all our performances are just in relation of that, you know.
“Mentally we should be stronger, we should be more competitive. Today I didn’t feel that on the field, unfortunately when you are not ready at this level you pay straight away.
“There is quality everywhere in Europe and if you don’t respect the opponent it’s kind of punishment and that’s kind of what happened today. Full credit belonged to the opponent as well because they play the game full of belief, but the blame is on us, all the team, all the club, we are guilty.”
Pressed on the specifics of his statement about events at the club, Lloris refused to elaborate – but hinted that Spurs are not playing or training as a team, with squad members failing to step up or show the right attitude.
“No, I don’t have to go deeper. It’s not possible… the way we play is just not enough, not enough. One thing is to come in front of the camera to say I am ambitious; the other thing is to show every day in training sessions, to show every time on the pitch, you cannot let it down if you play or not play.
The skipper starts 💪#UEL ⚪️ #COYS pic.twitter.com/jEuSyySw2L
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) March 18, 2021
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“To behave as a team is the most difficult thing in football, whatever is the decision of the manager you have to follow the way of the team. If you follow the team only when you are in the starting XI that causes big problems for the team because you pay on one moment, and you’re going to pay in your season, and today is the consequence of that.
“We had a great moment in the past because we could trust the togetherness that was in the team. Today, I don’t know, I’m not sure about that.”