Former Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino admitted that he doesn’t regret the decision to start Harry Kane in the 2019 Champions League final.
The England striker hadn’t played competitively for almost two months having picked up an ankle injury during Spurs’ 1-0 win over Manchester City in first leg of their Quarter-Final.
But after recovering from that problem, Kane was passed fit for the game in Madrid, and returned to the starting XI despite missing both games against Ajax in the Semi-Finals.
It meant that Kane was selected ahead of Lucas Moura, despite the Brazilian attacker scoring a hat-trick in the second leg victory in Amsterdam.
“For sure, if you put me in the same situation again, I would make the same decision again.” Pochettino told Monday Night Football. “You cannot doubt Harry Kane. Of course you can do some changes, but Harry Kane is our main striker and was not only the best player in Tottenham, but the England or in Europe.
“When he’s fit to play, you cannot have doubt.”
It’s interesting to hear Pochettino’s thoughts on selecting Kane.
But it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, and despite Spurs losing the game 2-0 and Kane having a quiet game himself, Moura’s inclusion wouldn’t have made much of a difference to the result on an evening when Pochettino’s side were generally disappointing.
Players always talk about how much confidence is a major factor in football. Lucas would have had ? going into that game and H would have had dpubts about March fitness or injury. I love Poch and will do forever but Lucas should ha e started that game!!! ??COYS
We know but let it go??
I still rather poch to be a.manager of Spurs than Jose