Mauricio Pochettino has disputed Danny Rose’s comments about not being honoured to play at Wembley anymore, insisting it is “a gift” for Tottenham to play at the national stadium.
After only 33,017 Spurs fans watched Wednesday’s 3-1 victory over Southampton in the Premier League, Rose said playing at Wembley is “just not nice anymore,” adding: “We’re all itching to get in the new stadium and hopefully it’s not too much longer.”
Tottenham have lost three matches at the national stadium across all competitions this season, falling to defeats against Liverpool, Manchester City and Barcelona respectively.
But Pochettino says he is still “so happy” for Spurs to play home games at Wembley until the club moves to its new White Hart Lane-based stadium.
“I’m not going to create a debate with him or other players – everyone is entitled to give their opinion. If you ask me, I am so happy to play at Wembley,” Pochettino said (via ESPN).
“When you love football like we do, you always hear about Wembley. I played there in 2000 with the [Argentina] national team at the old Wembley, and it was a dream come true. Now, every week or two, to have the possibility to play at Wembley is a gift.
“For Jesus [Perez, the assistant manager] it’s the same, because we go together to Wembley. ‘One game more, how lucky we are,’ we say. For me, it’s the best place in the world to play football.
“Of course, we’ll share that with our new stadium. They’re going to be the two best places to play, our new stadium and Wembley.”
Since beginning their Wembley tenancy last season, Tottenham have experienced memorable victories against the likes of Real Madrid, Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal and, most recently, Chelsea.
A new limit to the attendance means the number of fans turning up for “home” matches will continue to be reduced in the coming weeks – hopefully the new stadium is ready sooner rather than later.
