Football London

A former Tottenham Hotspur hooligan revealed the most “underrated” firm he came up against – saying their fans once knocked him out and left him hospitalised.

Convicted gun smuggler and one-time leader of the London Ulster Defence Association, Frank Portinari, opened up about his days fighting on the terraces. And he mentioned one rival in particular when he was asked about the toughest. Frank, who followed Spurs throughout Britain and Europe, said: “If I focus on London, I am honest enough to say this now that the late 60s, early 70s, I don’t think people give them credit, Arsenal had a naughty mob of fellas.

“And it changed because I remember when Tottenham eclipsed Arsenal so to speak and we would regularly go their end of the ground and take the p*** to be honest. And then they had their day again in the 80s and 90s.”

However, he said Arsenal fans were responsible for giving him one of his most dangerous moments at a football match, and it happened inside a White Hart Lane toilet.

“I’ve been very fortunate, I've only ever been concussed once,” Frank, who has penned a book called Loyalist Paramilitary Gunrunner, began. “And that was because I took a liberty.

“I went to the toilets after being where I shouldn’t have been and people saw me go to the toilets and that was at Tottenham and we played Arsenal.”

The North London Derby was at White Hart Lane and according to Frank, opposing fans clashed outside Spurs’ old stadium.

Frank, who thought he was being “smart”, pretended to be with the Arsenal fans to get into the away section, and faked being hurt by a Spurs supporter when a policeman asked whether he was ok.

However, speaking about what happened next on the Criminal Connection podcast, he said: “I went to the toilet and of course these Arsenal fellas saw me do it and I woke up in a cubicle. One minute I’m in the urinal and the next minute I’m in the cubicle.

“I joke about it now but I genuinely went like that (checks his ears) I had my f***ing ears in case one of them took it as a trophy you know.”

Frank was assisted by medics and he was taken to North Middlesex University Hospital. However, after waiting two hours to be seen, he decided to get a cab back home without being treated.

Despite giving credit to bitter rivals Arsenal, and revealing that Millwall away on Boxing Day in 1977 is where he witnessed the “worst violence” he had ever seen, he said one other firm stood out as the best.

He said: “But I suppose for consistency, I am honest enough to say, probably West Ham. I think West Ham because what they are always attributed with is being organised and they did seem to always be organised."

Frank added: “We have had our times with West Ham but consistently over the years, I will probably have to credit West Ham.”

Tottenham suffered a heart-breaking defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup final on Wednesday evening.

Goals just a few minutes either side of half time from Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero put Spurs in control, but Luis Enrique's substitutions dragged PSG back into the game.

In the 85th minute, Lee Kang-in pulled one back with a fierce left-footed effort from distance before Goncalo Ramos guided home an Ousmane Dembele cross deep into added time to take the game to penalties.

Despite the fact Joao Vitinha missed PSG's first spot-kick, the Lilywhites lost the shoot-out when Nuno Mendes netted the decisive penalty after both Micky van de Ven and Mathys Tel failed to find the back of the net.

For 70 minutes, Tottenham were superb with Thomas Frank's tactics - ranging from a relentless high press to some very clever set-pieces - absolutely spot on. The changing point of the game undoubtedly arrived courtesy of the substitutions made by both Frank and Enrique.

While the European champions brought on Ramos and Fabian Ruiz, Spurs introduced 19-year-old Archie Gray and a far from match-fit Dominic Solanke. Mohammed Kudus was also replaced by Tel with just over ten minutes to play.

The three players introduced did not necessarily do anything wrong but it was more about what Spurs lost through Richarlison, Kudus and Palhinha going off. The latter mopped up almost everything in front of the back five while Kudus and Richarlison formed a superb strike partnership.

Gray and Tel will undoubtedly have bright futures at Spurs but it is clear that Frank needs better squad options for the present. When Tottenham play a back four, Kudus will likely shift out to the right, but it is far from clear which player has the huge task of replacing club legend Son Heung-min on the other side.

Tel and Wilson Odobert are the obvious options but the former's struggles, alongside the fact the former Burnley man did not even get on, clearly suggests a new left winger is needed and it seems as though Spurs are perfectly aware of that.

Late last week, reports emerged that club-to-club talks had began between Spurs and Manchester City for Savinho with an opening bid also being rejected. The Brazilian can be deployed on both flanks but is better-suited to playing off the left with his pace and impressive crossing abilities traits that can be further showcased in north London.

Tottenham are expected to return with a second and improved offer likely closer to City's £67 million (€80m) asking price expected. Given the funds that were made available for Morgan Gibbs-White, Spurs can afford to meet that financial demand but may attempt to agree a lower fee as they are also pursuing a new No.10.

Joao Palhinha admits that the next couple of days will be difficult for Tottenham but the future will "bring us something special" after a UEFA Super Cup final which saw him involved in action on and off the pitch.

The 30-year-old started only his second game for Spurs following his loan move from Bayern Munich and on his competitive debut the Portuguese midfielder was a key element of the north London side snuffing out PSG's threat in Udine on Wednesday night and taking a 2-0 lead through goals from Micky van de Ven and new captain Cristian Romero.

It was Palhinha's reaction shot pushed on to the crossbar by new PSG goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier that led to Van de Ven's first half goal as the Dutchman swept home the loose ball.

However, after Palhinha was taken off in the 72nd minute due to his lack of match fitness, so Tottenham lost some of their shape and eventually conceded two late goals from Lee Kang-in and Goncalo Ramos. The French side then went on to win the penalty shoot-out 4-3 with their boss Luis Enrique admitting that Spurs had deserved to win the tie against the Champions League winners.

Palhinha could be seen, while still in his full kit, pushing his team-mates on in the technical area behind Thomas Frank following his substitution, dishing out instructions and telling certain players to calm down in possession. He was such an animated presence among the coaches that the fourth official had to come over and warn him to go and sit with his fellow withdrawn players.

After the game, the experienced former Fulham midfielder summed up the mood in the dressing room.

"We are really sad. Not just the players but all the staff, all the crowd that came to support us during the game. I think today and tomorrow will be a tough day for us to digest that loss, but I think we also need to feel proud for what we did until the 80 minutes," he said. "Because we fought all the games with the top team ad I think we showed what we are here to get in the future. I think we have all the conditions to achieve this season and I think the future will bring us something special.

"We played against a top opponent, a top game, but in the Premier League and also in every single league, they are top games. I think we cannot relax, and the good thing now is we have another game on Saturday to change the things and start on the right foot in the Premier League. That's our main goal today. As I said, try to forget what happened today. I think today will be really difficult, even tomorrow.

"But we will have short time as well to prepare for the next game, but with all the focus and the anger to achieve a win. I think the hunger from all the players to achieve this title. Everyone gave all the maximum in this game and I think we showed what we are capable of. We played against a top team and we have everything, a top coach and top players in this squad.

"A top crowd as well with a lot of hunger to achieve titles. Me and my team-mates, we will fight for it for sure. Yeah, it's a tough day today, a tough night, but I know that we will shape good things in the future. We just need to keep our heads up."

Palhinha put the final result down to the lottery of football as it sometimes throws up heartbreak just when all seems to be heading in the right direction.

"I think we played a really good game. I think we deserved much more than this result. It's really, really sad for all of us to get out of this stadium with this result, but it's football at the end," said the Portuguese.

"I think we showed in this game what we are capable of. I know the potential of this team. We have great players with a lot of hunger to achieve titles and wins for this club. We need to put all the focus now on Saturday's game, the beginning of the Premier League. Let's focus on Saturday because the good thing in football is you can change everything in the next game."

Palhinha is looking forward to the challenge ahead at Tottenham and believes that everything is in place to achieve something big at the club in a season with so many competitions to tackle, including the Champions League.

"I think it's the beginning of a journey together. It's a new team for me as well. Tottenham is a great club. It has all the conditions to achieve good things. It showed in the past and for sure it will show again in the future. I shared the dressing room with top players as well," he said.

"We have a top coach who is a top human being. I think we have all the conditions together to achieve good things. I think we just need to be with our heads up and keep fighting because the journey is really long. But as I said, Saturday starts a new journey for us as a team and we are really motivated for the beginning of the Premier League."

Palhinha's move marks a return to the capital after a couple of productive years at Craven Cottage and he is relishing stepping back into Premier League life.

"I enjoyed it when I played in Fulham the two years that I was there. I really miss the Premier League. I think it's a league that everyone wants to play in," he said. "When you play there and go to play outside somewhere else, you miss something. I'm really proud to be back again to the Premier League. I'm really happy to be on this top club and top team. I just need to enjoy it."

Cristian Romero believes the way that Tottenham Hotspur lost the UEFA Super Cup to Paris Saint-Germain will strengthen the team overall.

Romero scored three minutes into the second half to give Spurs a 2-0 lead after Micky van de Ven put them ahead just halftime. That two-goal advantage remained until the 85th minute, when PSG substitute Lee Kang-in halved the deficit.

Goncalo Ramos then also came off the bench to score an equaliser in the fourth minute of additional time. Tottenham then also led 2-0 in the penalty shootout at one stage before the French team again turned it around.

Romero was the first Spurs player to post on social media platform Instagram after the match. One of the three photos shared on social media shows the new Spurs captain covering his face with both hands.

"It hurts to lose like this, no doubt, but it will make us stronger as a team," the post's caption reads. "We'll work and fight to relive these moments together.

"Thankful to all the fans for the incredible support on the road today. See you at home on Saturday, family."

Before tagging Tottenham's official account, Romero punctuated the post with a white heart emoji. He also added, "Congratulations to PSG".

Djed Spence also shared a similarly emotional message: "Devastated to say the least. We gave everything, but sometimes football isn't fair.

"Thank you to the travelling fans (white heart emoji). Full focus on the season now," it reads, ending with the hashtag' God Speed'.

Rio Ferdinand also commented on the player's post. "First full back for a while I've seen be able to handle Kvaratskhelia," the pundit said, adding two clapping hands emojis.

Joao Palhinha also marked his first competitive appearance for the club with a post on social media. "I'm so happy to make my official debut representing this club in a memorable final!" the caption reads.

"We have many important battles to win together. Football is what it's all about, no matter how hard it is to digest this final.

"We're together on this long journey ahead, but one thing I'm certain of, with our work together, the future will bring us joys. Thank you for your incredible support!"

Tottenham have released a strongly-worded statement after forward Mathys Tel suffered racist abuse on social media following the UEFA Super Cup on Wednesday night.

Tel was one of two Spurs players to miss his spot-kick in the penalty shootout defeat to Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday night, with Micky van de Ven the other to miss from 12 yards.

Spurs had looked on course to lift the trophy in Udine, Italy, leading 2-0 in the final 10 minutes. Van de Ven had opened the scoring in the first half, with central defensive teammate Cristian Romero making it two in the second half.

But after a huge effort, Tottenham could not quite get over the line with PSG substitutes Lee Kang-In and Goncalo Ramos minute steering the match into a shootout via goals in the 84th and 95th minute.

PSG would run out 4-3 winners, however, to lift the Super Cup, but a superb Tottenham performance was soured by the social media abuse received by Tel in the aftermath of the contest.

And Tottenham have confirmed that they will be looking for the "strongest possible action" against anyone they are able to identify in an investigation into the abuse.

In a statement, Spurs said: "We are disgusted at the racial abuse that Mathys Tel has received on social media following last night’s UEFA Super Cup defeat.

"Mathys showed bravery and courage to step forward and take a penalty, yet those who abuse him are nothing but cowards - hiding behind anonymous usernames and profiles to spout their abhorrent views.

"We will work with the authorities and social media platforms to take the strongest possible action against any individual we are able to identify.

"We stand with you, Mathys."

Tel has also received plenty of support on social media, following the racism.

Luis Enrique has said it was akin to a miracle that Paris Saint-Germain won the UEFA Super Cup over Tottenham Hotspur.

Spurs led 2-0 in Udine after goals from Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven either side of half-time. PSG substitute Lee Kang-in, however, halved their deficit in the 85th minute before Goncalo Ramos equalised four minutes into additional time.

Tottenham then led 2-0 in the penalty shootout after Dominic Solanke and Rodrigo Bentancur scored either side of a miss from Vitinha. PSG would not miss again, though, while Van de Ven, then Mathys Tel, erred from the spot.

Thomas Frank likened the penalty shootout to "a flip of a coin" but acknowledged there was "so much to be happy with" and "so many positives" from the match itself. The new Spurs head coach described the first half as "almost perfect" and spoke of his pride for "the team, the club, and the fans".

Enrique, meanwhile, was remarkably magnanimous in victory afterwards. Seconds into an interview with TNT Sports, he asked, "Do you think we deserved that?" before answering that same question when put to him by the interviewer, Jules Breach.

"For 80 minutes, we didn’t deserve that," Enrique said. "I think Tottenham deserved the win in the match.

"We could feel they were in form; they could feel they had been training for six weeks; they played a great match. We had been training for only six days.

"Sometimes football is unfair, we were very lucky that in the last ten minutes we could score two goals. I have to say that my players had faith until the last minute, like our supporters, but football is unpredictable and in that sense, we were very lucky."

After explaining their struggles playing after barely training, Enrique proclaimed, "It was like a miracle."

Tottenham are interested in signing Eberechi Eze before the summer transfer window closes, having initially appeared to distance themselves from a move for the Crystal Palace star.

Eze has been linked with a move away from Selhurst Park for much of the summer, with Arsenal the most recent club to be heavily tipped to make a move.

But, with an ACL injury suffered by James Maddison, ruling him out for most of the upcoming 2025/26 season and the failure to sign Morgan Gibbs-White from Nottingham Forest, Spurs are back in the market for someone to play in the No.10 role.

In Eze they will have someone who can play across the frontline and in midfield - a versatile player for Thomas Frank's system.

Eze still has two years left on his contract with the Eagles, giving Palace the upper hand in negotiations over a transfer. Eze has a release clause of £67.5million which expires before the Premier League season starts, so Tottenham have something of a deadline to meet to get a deal done.

That said it is understood that Palace will demand a similar amount even after the release clause expires.

Spurs will want to get a deal over the line before the season starts, though, to give Frank the best possible squad heading into that opening fixture against Burnley, particularly without a recognised No.10 to call upon at the moment. Dejan Kulusevski has a long-term knee injury, meaning Lucas Bergvall, Pape Matar Sarr and the likes of Wilson Odobert or Mathys Tel could have to play there if Eze is not brought into the club in time.

The deadline to play players in Premier League games at the weekend is 12pm on the last working day before the weekend - so noon on Friday for Spurs ahead of their clash with Burnley.

Palace will also want to complete a transfer quickly, if they are to let Eze leave, which they would do reluctantly, given his importance to the team.

The Eagles will need to replace the outgoing star, and the longer the saga goes on, the less time they will have to do so.

Palace could also need to replace two big players, given Liverpool links with defender Marc Guehi, who only has one year left on his contract in south London.

football.london initially reported in July that Spurs were highly unlikely to make a move for Eze, despite the noise around the Lilywhites' apparent interest.

That was likely due to a protracted move for Gibbs-White being on the cards - a move which subsequently failed. Arsenal moved to the front of the queue for Eze, but it is now Spurs who are leading the race.

That is because the Gunners' interest has cooled somewhat. Ethan Nwaneri's decision to sign a new contract at the Emirates Stadium led to Arsenal easing off a move for Eze, feeling another signing in that department was not entirely necessary.

Eze remains of interest to Arsenal, but their priority right now is on getting fringe players out of the door, rather than bringing new players in and that is where Spurs can swoop to secure the deal ahead of their north London rivals.

Tottenham were to get their own taste of final heartache on Wednesday evening three months on from their European triumph. On course to add the UEFA Super Cup to their trophy cabinet after winning the Europa League final back in May, PSG ensured that was not to be the case after dealing Spurs the cruellest of blows deep into stoppage time.

Two goals to the good after Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero netted either side of half-time, PSG really put Thomas Frank's men under intense pressure late on following some positive substitutions and it resulted in Lee Kang-in finding the bottom corner in the 85th minute with a clean strike. Four minutes into the allotted six minutes of stoppage time and it was 2-2 after Goncalo Ramos headed home Ousmane Dembele's wicked delivery.

It was the French side who prevailed on penalties as Nuno Mendes emphatically scored the winner after misses from Van de Ven and Mathys Tel. Despite the late setback and seeing a trophy snatched from their grasp, Frank can take plenty of positives from his side's performance.

Tottenham were very impressive for 85 minutes of the contest with the team causing the Parisians a host of issues. A number of players delivered big performances, including Pape Matar Sarr.

The Senegalese ace was utilised in the No.10 role and he offered plenty of support to Mohammed Kudus and Richarlison in the final third. In the absence of James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski due to injury, Sarr looks set to have more of an attacking role in the weeks ahead and his performance highlighted that he will be a major player under Frank.

A standout performer during Ange Postecoglou's first season as Spurs boss, the youngster's levels fluctuated at times last term but he did swing in the all-important delivery that Brennan Johnson scored to win the Europa League. Sarr has immediately caught Frank's eye since his arrival at the club and he was lauded by the Dane after his standout showing against Arsenal in pre-season.

"It was great. I know he won player of the match and, for me, he was player of the match," he said after Sarr's goal sealed a 1-0 win in Hong Kong. "He took it (the goal) so well and so quickly, saw David Raya was too far out of his goal and put it away.

“By the way, I think Pape has been amazing. I really like how he has played and performed in the last four weeks, training and in games. He’s building, and his all-round game today... top.”

There is still so much more to come from the 22-year-old and Frank's history of extracting the very best out of his players bodes well for everyone. Sarr once again delivered another impressive display as he brought plenty of energy to the team and supported at the back when required.

The player didn't look too happy to be replaced in the closing minutes of the contest and his exit did have an impact on the Tottenham team as PSG got their equaliser to take the game to penalties. Tottenham also missed Joao Palhinha when he came off in the 72nd minute in place of Archie Gray.

The Portuguese international is such an influential player in the middle of the park due to his ability to win tackles, break up play and get the ball moving forward. Palhinha was outstanding during his time at Fulham and he may well prove to be Tottenham's most important signing of the summer when we take a look back at the 2025/26 season come May.

Palhinha was very close to marking his first competitive Tottenham appearance with a debut goal seconds before Van de Ven stroked the ball home after the midfielder's effort was tipped on to the crossbar by Lucas Chevalier. His absence was felt following his substitution and many Spurs fans have pointed to the decision to replace the midfielder, Kudus and Richarlison as a pivotal moment in the contest.

Palhinha was not too keen on taking his place in the dugout following his substitution as the TV cameras at Stadio Friuli in Udine picked up on him a number of times standing at the side of the technical area shouting instructions and telling his teammates to calm down. It was a clear sign of his leadership qualities and his experience as he tried to get his teammates over the line.

Having seemed to have been stood in the technical area for what seemed a very long time when he should not have been there, he was eventually told off by the fourth official who clearly wanted him to retreat back to the substitutes' bench. Palhinha is going to be huge for Tottenham this season and the same goes for Sarr.

Both were extremely impressive performers against PSG and it could well be a sign of things to come between now and May.

Son Heung-min posted a classy message on Instagram moments after Tottenham were beaten by PSG in the UEFA Super Cup final.

Thomas Frank's side took the lead in Stadio Friuli, Udine thanks to Micky van de Ven blasting home from close range in the first half. Cristian Romero doubled Spurs' advantage early in the second half with a sublime header from a Pedro Porro free kick.

It was a superb performance from the Lilywhites against the Champions League holders and, in truth, PSG were kept at bay for most of the match. That changed in the closing stages, however, as the French champions got one back with five minutes of normal time remaining through Lee Kang-in. Goncalo Ramos then sent the tie to penalties with a well taken header in stoppage time. With Van de Ven and Mathys Tel missing their penalties in the shootout, Nuno Mendes scored the decisive spot kick to secure Luis Enrique's side the win.

Son completed a move to LAFC last week in a deal worth more than £20million, which is an MLS record. Despite that, the former Spurs captain took to Instagram on Wednesday night to send his former club a message of support.

Son wrote: "So proud of you team! Good time will come very soon no time to be disappointed let's be positive and move to next one big season ahead, still thinking of you Spurs family [white heart emoji] COYS."

With attention now turning to the Premier League and more specifically Burnley at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday, Frank was pleased with what he saw against PSG and the hope will be that his side can take that performance into the 2025/26 season.

The former Brentford boss told the media: "I absolutely agree, very, very proud of the players, the team, the club, the fans. I think the players gave everything, playing against one of the best team in the world, maybe the best, at the moment, and I think we were 75, 80 minutes perfect, almost giving nothing away against, they had four players with unbelievable individual quality on the pitch. So very, very proud of them."

He added: "I think every game matters. I think if you look on the face of the players and all of us, we are hugely disappointed and I have my rule for 24 hours. I can be disappointed for 24 hours. We want to compete in a lot of different tournaments and if you want to do that, you need to be ready to do a quick turnaround and go again. I’ll make sure the players are ready and come flying out on Saturday."

Thomas Frank spoke to reporters after Tottenham fell to a penalty shoot-out defeat to PSG in the UEFA Super Cup on Wednesday evening in Udine.

Spurs gave everything against the Champions League winners and Club World Cup finalists and started the game strongly. They struck in the 39th minute when a deep Guglielmo Vicario free-kick caused problems in the box after new captain Cristian Romero headed it across. Joao Palhinha had his shot tipped on to the crossbar and Micky van de Ven was there to fire home the loose ball.

The north London side doubled their lead just a couple of minutes after the interval. The unmarked Romero sent a thumping header from Pedro Porro's deep free-kick towards the far post and new PSG goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier could only get fingertips on it as it went into the far corner of the net.

The French side struck a goal back in the final five minutes. Lee Kang-in smashed a low drive from outside the box into the bottom right corner of the net. Then they found a leveller in the 90th minute when Goncalo Ramos headed home from a low cross from Ousmane Dembele.

At 2-2, after normal time was up, the game went to penalties and although Dominic Solanke, Rodrigo Bentancur and Porro scored, Micky van de Ven saw his spot kick saved and Mathys Tel sent his wide, leaving Nuno Mendes to fire home to win the shoot-out 4-3 for PSG.

Our Tottenham reporter Alasdair Gold was among those putting the questions to Frank after the game. Here's the full transcript from the press conference in Udine.

You must be proud of your players for carrying out your plan for 80-85 minutes but then just running out of steam?

I absolutely agree, very, very proud of the players, the team, the club, the fans. I think the players gave everything, playing against one of the best team in the world, maybe the best, at the moment, and I think we were 75, 80 minutes perfect, almost giving nothing away against, they had four players with unbelievable individual quality on the pitch. So very, very proud of them.

When did you decide to use that 3-5-2 system and what specifically did you work on to help the players adapt to it?

Probably decided that the day after Bayern. I knew we had to do something a little bit different against PSG. It was a special operation. In medical terms, the operation succeeded but the patient died. So not that good in the end. But we worked on a gameplan that was a little bit different and (it was) very close to succeeding.

With penalties, it's all about small margins isn't it?

I agree, it’s down to the smallest of margins in the penalty shootout. It’s like the flip of a coin. First I’d like to thank all the players that stood up and were brave and took responsibility to take a penalty.

Why didn't Brennan Johnson come on, was he injured?

No no, not injured. Just decided to play with two strikers, different types. He could have come on instead of Mathys Tel of course, but just different.

What went wrong in those last ten minutes?

I wish I knew. I think sometimes football is the smallest of margins. They kept pushing, made some subs that put us under pressure at times. But it’s a shot from the edge of the box - before that we didn’t concede really any big chances. I think there was one save from Vic where he needed to save it. Then the momentum built and they scored - of course they had some crosses, some situations, and we need to dig deep. But it’s basically the next chance, it’s not like they have three chances before this goal. Small margins, small margins.

Did this show you can compete with PSG but need a stronger squad to do it for 90 minutes?

I think if you play 2-2 against PSG you take that. I think that single result is good. Then you have a penalty shootout that we lost - maybe we need to work on penalties. Maybe that’s the thing to win a final. I think if everyone said this would be a draw and we’d do some penalties, everyone would think ‘oh that’s quite impressive’. Then if you look into the performance we actually put in and the shift we put in - wow, wow, what a mentality throughout the game. A lot of things to be happy with.

With that 70, 80 minutes so early in your tenure, that kind of running, intensity and effort, and also execution, is that the standard now that those players have got to keep?

Hopefully, the intensity and aggressivity, in the pressure and in the defending and the foundation and a mentality to run hard, that needs to be the foundation every single time, and sometimes you succeed very well, other times we need to do a little bit better and I think that was good.

I think another thing that was very positive was the set pieces. Obviously we knew that was an area where we can hurt PSG and we worked very hard on it. So a big credit to the players and almost gave us a win.

Could you expand on the details that you did like in the first 60 minutes and if that is what we should expect from your team?

I think one thing is, as I said, it was a little bit of special operation because it clearly went in spells a little bit more direct, because we knew that we could hurt them there. Big, big focus on the set pieces, from all areas of the pitch, but we will have focus on set pieces no matter what.

I think the high pressure is a non-negotiable when we went man for man, all over the pitch in quite a few good times. So those bits that will be a standard.

There was a chance for you to win your first European trophy as a coach but some say this game doesn't matter?

I think every game matters. I think if you look on the face of the players and all of us, we are hugely disappointed and I have my rule for 24 hours. I can be disappointed for 24 hours. We want to compete in a lot of different tournaments and if you want to do that, you need to be ready to do a quick turnaround and go again. I’ll make sure the players are ready and come flying out on Saturday.