Mourinho reveals goalpost change before Tottenham’s UEL tie
Jose Mourinho revealed how Tottenham were forced to move the goalposts ahead of their Europa League qualifying win over Shkendija.
Spurs needed goals from Son Heung-Min and Harry Kane in the final 20 minutes to beat their North Macedonian hosts 3-1 and go through to next week’s play-off against Maccabi Haifa.
But Mourinho says his goalkeepers noticed the framework at the Tose Proeski Arena in Skopje were too small in height before the match and demanded they were changed.
Mourinho later posted pictures on Instagram of himself almost touching the crossbar while Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris was easily grabbing the woodwork.
There are no suggestions of foul play from Shkendija as the stadium in the North Macedonian capital is not their home ground.
“Before the game was a funny situation because my goalkeepers told me that the goal was small,” Mourinho said.
“I went by myself and of course the goal was small. The goalkeepers, they spend hours and hours and hours in the goal so they know when the goal is not the right dimension.
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“I am not a goalkeeper but I know football since I was a kid and I know when I stand there and I spread my arms and I know the distance, so I felt immediately that something was going wrong.
“We got the UEFA delegate to confirm and yes it was 5cm smaller, which of course we demanded for the goals to be replaced for goals of the right dimension.”