Mauricio Pochettino revealed his players will be given “a few days off” after Wednesday’s crucial 3-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund.
Tottenham put themselves in a promising position to reach the Champions League quarter-finals by convincingly beating Dortmund in the Round of 16 first leg.
Over the weekend Spurs played a day later than Dortmund, something Pochettino took issue with in the build-up to Wednesday’s clash.
But the Tottenham boss has said his player’s ability to win despite their reduced preparation time makes them “heroes” in his book.
“I feel so proud. My players are heroes,” Pochettino said (via FourFourTwo).
“It was a massive victory for us and the players deserve all the credit. It was fantastic.
“To play with one day less recovery, we need to praise them. They’ve won the possibility to have a few days off.”
Spurs do not have a scheduled fixture this weekend after being knocked out of the FA Cup at Crystal Palace last month.
Despite the frustration of their FA Cup failings, a break could be a good thing for Tottenham’s chances in the Premier League and the Champions League.
One player who will certainly be in need of a rest is Son Heung-min, who scored in his fourth successive appearances on Wednesday since returning from the Asian Cup.
Pochettino was keen to heap praise on the South Korean after the game.
The Argentinian added: “Son was fantastic again, he’s doing fantastic. He’s a player that provides the team with a lot of very good things.
“His smile, he translates good energy and his performance in every game is improving. We’re so happy.”
