Before the game, new Tottenham Hotspur boss Igor Tudor insisted that the Premier League remains the club's priority.
Judging by their performance as Atletico Madrid put five past them, that message was received loud and clear by the players, though it was less warmly received by the club's travelling supporters.
As the threat of relegation looms large, the tension and emotion have spilt over from the pitch and polluted the fanbase.
That much was abundantly apparent on the flight from Manchester to Madrid, where doom talk persisted, and some let their entire fanbase down with their abusive behaviour towards female flight attendants.
There is almost always a level of rowdiness on European away nights, the result of a cocktail of alcohol and excitement. But this was different, a consequence of anger, frustration and immaturity.
It took until just the sixth minute for Spurs' resolve to crumble, as Julian Alvarez laid it off to Marcos Llorente on the edge of the box, allowing the Argentine to place a powerful strike into the bottom corner with ease.
Eight minutes later, Antoine Griezmann doubled the hosts’ lead after a mistake from Micky Van de Ven gifted the Frenchman possession. One-on-one with Kinsky, Griezmann took plenty of time to unsettle the 22-year-old and slotted home with ease from point-blank range.
Less than 60 seconds later, the scale of the disaster that was unfolding for Spurs reached almost comedic levels.
A complete mis-kick from Kinsky presented Alvarez with the ball nine yards from an empty net, and the World Cup winner made no mistake from close range.
Three became four in the 22nd minute when a scramble in the box looked to have been desperately cleared just in time, but a check of the watch saw referee Serdar Gozubuyuk award a goal, deeming that the ball crossed the line after a final touch from defender Robin Le Normand.
It looked like anything Atletico touched would turn into a goal, but while some were frantically checking the competition’s biggest win in history, Spurs pulled one back.
An intelligent touch unlocked Pedro Porro in the box after taking the ball around Matteo Ruggeri, and the Spanish full-back finished excellently at full stretch to cut into the deficit.
The start of one of the great comebacks? A chance to save face on a night that could have ended in embarrassment? Likely neither, but if nothing else, the unexpected setback for the hosts helped settle the game after a chaotic start, which saw five goals in the opening 26 minutes.
While it may seem difficult to believe without having watched the match, Atletico were not the all-empowering force that the half-time scoreline implies.
But the crucial difference is that, while chances fell for both sides, Spurs looked uneasy on each occasion, whereas the stadium preemptively rose with virtually every touch that the hosts had in the Spurs half.
Tudor opted for a double change at the break, with something needing to give. Priority or not, Spurs were on the brink of an embarrassment of the magnitude that their fragile mentality could ill-afford at such a crucial point in the club’s history.
A similar tale of profligacy versus deadly precision unfolded, and the outcome was the same as Atletico extended their lead in the 55th minute.
In truth, there was no better example of the very nature of the game than this goal, as a saved Richarlison header at one end immediately kick-started a counter for the hosts, which saw Alvarez net his brace just 13 seconds after the Brazilian’s saved attempt.
Another consolation arrived in the 76th minute when Solanke reduced the deficit back to three. It was Jan Oblak’s time to make a mistake between the sticks, as he ceded possession under pressure from the English striker.
Porro collected the loose ball and fed it back into Solanke, who made no mistake one-on-one to make it 5-2.
But, truthfully, this did little to save Spurs’ blushes. Losing 5-2 against an Atletico side who did not look extraordinary, to lose their sixth consecutive game in all competitions, felt like an unacceptable new low.
Excluding the second leg of this tie, Spurs have nine games to save their season and preserve their Premier League status.
If they are to do that, something needs to change, and, with the transfer window firmly shut, it will not be the players.