Sport Witness

In the Round of 16 of the Champions League in 2011, Tottenham went past AC Milan.

The game is known for Spurs’ strong performance across the two legs. It also become famous for a touchline clash involving Rino Gattuso and Joe Jordan.

At that time, the Scotsman was Tottenham’s first-team coach under Harry Redknapp. Gattuso was approaching the end of his illustrious playing career.

Jordan has spoken to Gazzetta dello Sport about the incident.

“I think he lost his mind a bit. He’d been sent off, he was supposed to leave the pitch, he walked in front of me and we had a face-to-face confrontation.”

Jordan revealed he made sure the incident didn’t escalate, given his position at Tottenham.

“There was no way I was going to let it go any further: as a player, when you’re in the grip of emotion, you can do things you later regret. As a coach you always have to be disciplined.”

He believes Gattuso would now look back on the incident quite differently.

“I’m sure that now that he’s a coach, he thinks the same way. For me, however, it was all over after the match.”

It is evident that the incident isn’t a big deal for Jordan anymore. It was a big event around Tottenham at the time, however, it may have been a bigger deal for those watching.

Colombian icon Óscar Cordoba has revealed how he saw a move to Tottenham Hotspur pulled away from him.

Infobae cover comments from the former goalkeeper today. He revealed all in an interview in the Agradable y Claro podcast.

Cordoba’s career is one of the most successful in Colombian football. He was a part of the famous Boca Juniors side of the late 90s that made history in South American and world football.

Alongside the likes of Juan Román Riquelme and Walter Samuel, he was a key player in a team that dominated the Copa Libertadores and won the Intercontinental Cup against Real Madrid in 2000. He was also a part of the Colombian team that won the Copa América in 2001.

Like many players in both squads, he started to look towards Europe and a potential transfer. And according to Cordoba, he could have joined Tottenham. In fact, a deal was done, before a combination of an unwilling president and Argentina’s financial collapse meant it didn’t happen.

“I had an offer from Tottenham as soon as I became champion of the Copa Libertadores, my second, and I lost the Intercontinental with Bayern Munich,” he said.

“The offer came. It was real. I spoke with the people at Tottenham. I presented the offer to Macri and Macri said no.

“Mauricio Macri tells me ‘no, here they offer three million, we want five. I tell him ‘Mauricio, I’m 32 years old, not even my mother pays that for me anymore’.

“They tell us ‘the contract is going to be devalued according to what the currency devalues’. And I told him ‘no, wait a moment. I signed a contract with you in dollars’. He told me ‘No, we can’t, because it’s a presidential order’, and I said ‘Well then, I have to leave. First team that arrives for that team I’m leaving.’

“Perugia arrived and I was already playing. I said ‘no, I’m leaving.’ The only thing I knew about Perugia was that a Korean was playing (for them).

“Right now, I have a very good relationship (with Macri). But at that moment when he took away the possibility of reaching Tottenham, I told him ‘no, I’m going anywhere and even more so with the economic problem’. So much so that Chicho left, Jorge left, Palermo left, we all ran away.”

Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea both have their eyes on Jonathan David, who could leave Juventus.

That’s according to Tuttomercatoweb and journalist Nicolo Ceccarni. They report that Tottenham and Chelsea are both weighing up the forward’s value before a move.

According to their arrival, Juventus are planning changes in January for new manager Luciano Spalletti. While a midfielder is a priority, there could be changes in the forward line.

Dusan Vlahovic has had a total relaunch under the manager and now looks likely to stay. That will push Jonathan David closer to the exit door.

He is ‘not convincing’ anyone at the club and the Italians would be ready to ‘reflect on the possibility’ of an exit in January. Chelsea and Tottenham are looking at him and ‘making their assessments’ before a potential move.

That backs up a report from earlier this week which also named Tottenham and Chelsea as potential suitors for the striker. It was explained that they could take advantage of his situation at Juventus to get a done in January.

That idea now seems to be gaining strength, although for now both sides are simply making their assessments and nothing more.

João Palhinha will have a personal reunion to look forward to when Tottenham host Manchester United in the Premier League.

The Portuguese midfielder, now one of Spurs’ most consistent performers, will face his former coach Ruben Amorim, who recently took charge at Old Trafford.

The pair share a long history, having worked together first at Braga and later at Sporting CP, where they lifted the Portuguese league title before Palhinha made his move to England in 2022 to join Fulham under Marco Silva.

Now established in North London after his summer transfer, Palhinha’s influence in Thomas Frank’s midfield has been decisive.

His strong tackling, positional sense and leadership have helped Tottenham maintain a solid record at home, where Manchester United have not managed a victory since 2021.

Amorim’s side, meanwhile, are still adjusting to his methods after the managerial change, and the upcoming clash will test how quickly his ideas are taking shape in the Premier League.

Speaking to DAZN Portugal, Palhinha admitted the encounter will have an emotional side. “It will be a very special game. I shared great moments with Mister Ruben and also with all the staff who are with him. I made good friends there.”, he said.

“Playing against Bruno [Fernandes] again and other familiar faces will also be nice. But honestly, I’m going there to win. I and all my teammates really, really want to win next week,” he continued.

Focused on Tottenham bouncing back

Tottenham’s defeat to Chelsea last weekend has only increased their desire to bounce back. “That frustration has to give us more fuel to react. We need that fuel”, Palhinha added.

Both Tottenham and Manchester United sit on 17 points, eight behind leaders Arsenal, making this head-to-head crucial for the European race.

The reunion between Palhinha and Amorim adds another emotional layer to a match already rich in storylines, as two Portuguese figures who rose together in Lisbon now cross paths in the heart of English football.

The midfielder’s determination suggests the sentimental value of the meeting will not distract him from the main goal: keeping Spurs in the fight near the top of the table.

Inter Milan chairman and CEO Beppe Marotta has suggested Tottenham Hotspur’s stadium could be one of the ‘reference models’ for the new Milan stadium.

FC Inter 1908 cover comments from him today on the sidelines of the Football Business Forum. Inter and AC Milan announced their plans for a new stadium this week.

The two clubs have formally signed off on plans to knock down the iconic San Siro stadium and replace it with a new 71,500-seater stadium costing €1.2 billion. They are planning to move into the new stadium by the 2030/31 season and for when Italy co-hosts the 2032 European Championship with Türkiye.

The current San Siro is not considered modern enough for UEFA. Given that, it won’t be approved to host tournament matches.

What route the two Italian clubs take with their new stadium, remains to be seen. No designs are set to be published until the first half of 2026. No completion date has been set as yet either.

They will likely look around Europe for ideas and Tottenham’s stadium will surely be in focus if they do. It’s considered one of the best stadium in the world, having received numerous awards for design, fan experience and versatility.

Marotta was asked about it directly, with the question ‘could the stadium development idea be similar to that of Tottenham’. He didn’t answer that directly but admitted it is a reference model.

“I won’t go into it, because we’re clearly still in the preliminary phase,” he said.

“Dr. Ralph will take care of that for us. I’m certain that Inter and AC Milan’s goal is to build a stadium that meets modern standards in terms of hospitality, safety, and welcoming atmosphere. There are many reference models in Europe.

“However, the clubs’ desire is to do something different, something truly excellent.”

A good performance in the Champions League this week has not been enough to save Tottenham Hotspur’s Xavi Simons from criticism.

That’s if the latest from Johan Derksen is any indication. He’s targeted the Tottenham man again, via Soccer News. And yes, it’s all about his physicality.

Simons has endured a difficult start to life at Tottenham since joining from RB Leipzig in the summer transfer window. He was brought in as a direct replacement for James Maddison, who is out with a serious knee injury picked up in pre-season.

He’s yet to prove he can be a replacement, though, with a handful of disappointing displays so far. That’s particularly been the case in the Premier League. Last weekend he was substituted on and then off again following a poor display in the defeat to Chelsea. Indeed, he was partly at fault for the Blues’ winning goal.

Questions have been asked about his suitability to life in the Premier League, with much made about the physicality. The prevalent thought, particularly in the Netherlands, is that he’s not up to the mark physically. Some think he never will be.

Tottenham player not up to it physically

Derksen is one of those who has been vocal on the matter. And he’s targeted the Tottenham man once again today.

“That Simons, he’s physically incompetent,” he said on Vandaag Inside.

“In England, they’re all skilled on the ball and can all play football, but you also need physical strength. Tijjani Reijnders has that, and so do the guys at Liverpool, but Simons is getting lost in the onslaught. Simply because he’s physically incompetent.”

Time for the gym, Xavi.

France manager Didier Deschamps has included Tottenham Hotspur’s Randal Kolo Muani in the squad for November’s international break.

L’Equipe reports the decision hasn’t gone down well with some France attackers, and their entourages.

Kolo Muani spent the second half of last season at Juventus and was keen on returning to the Serie A side in the summer. They failed to find an agreement with Paris Saint-Germain, who then sent him on loan to Tottenham on deadline day.

The 26-year-old made his Tottenham debut in their Champions League win over Villarreal in September. He then picked up a muscle injury, forcing him to spend over a month on the sidelines.

On October 22nd, the France international made his comeback in the 2-2 draw against AS Monaco.

Despite his lacklustre form for the north London club, the frontman will return to the France squad for the first time since June.

L’Equipe report his selection is ‘causing friction among some of his rivals for the position’. There’s a belief his level doesn’t warrant the confidence Deschamps is showing.

The report states: ‘Kolo Muani has a status in the French national team, and Deschamps will not let him go as long as he shows the same mindset and manages to perform well in the national team.’

On Wednesday, Gazzetta dello Sport reported on Tottenham’s interest in Juventus’ Dusan Vlahovic.

They claimed there is still a chance of him staying in Turin despite his contract running out in 2026. Spurs, Bayern Munich and Barcelona are keeping an eye on him, and Vlahovic’s future can also depend on his relationship with Luciano Spalletti.

Today’s Corriere dello Sport takes a more detailed look at the Serbian.

The 25-year-old was nearing an exit in the summer. Things have now changed dramatically as the striker is becoming a leader in Turin once again. Corriere dello Sport describe him as an ‘indispensable’ part of the Juve side.

The Bianconeri are open to renewing his contract but only if he reduces his wage demands. This is because the Old Lady want to keep their finances under control.

Vlahovic is demanding a ‘top salary and signing-on bonus’, whether that be from Juventus or interested clubs like Tottenham. This is likely to make it difficult for Juve. There have been no indications that he will reduce these demands.

Should he resurgence continue this season then the battle to sign him as a free agent is likely to grow.

Tottenham, Aston Villa and Newcastle United are all monitoring Brentford striker Igor Thiago, according to Trivela and ESPN Brazil.

The 24-year-old Brazilian has become one of the Premier League’s standout players this season. He has scored six goals in 11 matches, just one behind Erling Haaland. Those include strikes against Liverpool and Manchester United, which raised his profile across England.

His form has also impressed Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti. Igor Thiago appeared on the preliminary list for the November internationals, although Vitor Roque was chosen instead. Even so, Trivela reports that Ancelotti remains “impressed” by the Brentford striker’s development.

Tottenham, Newcastle United and Aston Villa have already made enquiries to understand his price and availability. Brentford, however, are determined to keep their top scorer. The Bees have already lost Bryan Mbeumo Yoane Wissa and do not want another major exit so soon.

Igor Thiago’s story is one of steady progress. After leaving Cruzeiro in 2022, he shone for Ludogorets in Bulgaria and later at Club Brugge in Belgium, where Brentford found him.

His first year in England was difficult due to two knee injuries that limited him to only 169 minutes. This season, with Wissa and Mbeumo gone, he earned the starting role and delivered right away.

Numbers back up the growing attention. Since August 2022, only Vinicius Junior and Raphinha have scored more goals among Brazilian players in Europe. In the current Premier League campaign, Igor Thiago has almost as many goals as Richarlison, João Pedro, Matheus Cunha and Igor Jesus combined.

Brentford signed him in July 2024 on a five-year deal running until 2029, with an option for another season. With age, form and confidence on his side, Igor Thiago looks set to be one of the most talked-about names in the next transfer window.

Tottenham Hotspur and Atlético Madrid are interested in a move for River Plate’s Lautaro Rivero.

Last month, we covered claims from Argentina that Spurs are expected to make an offer. The Premier League side had also sent a scout to follow the 22-year-old live in action.

On November 2nd, La Razón reported Tottenham’s interest in the centre-back worries the La Liga side.

DSports cover the latest on Atlético’s plan to get ahead of Tottenham and other potential suitors.

The defender’s maturity, man marking and his reading of the game have convinced Los Rojiblancos. They believe he has a great potential to become a key player in a medium term.

Although Atlético’s interest in the Argentina international is firm, it won’t be easy for them to sign him. He has a $100m [€87m] release clause and Tottenham and Real Madrid are also in the picture.

DSports reports Atlético are confident their sporting project, Diego Simeone’s leadership and the possibility of making the leap to La Liga could tip the balance in their favour.

In short, Atlético are optimistic these factors can help them overcome competition from Tottenham. Whether their confidence is misplaced needs to be seen, but the ‘race to sign him has already begun’.