Tottenham Hotspur

Fresh from our Europa League triumph in midweek, Ange Postecoglou spoke to the media on Saturday lunchtime ahead of our final-day Premier League meeting with Brighton & Hove Albion (4pm UK).

Here’s a look at some of the things he had to say...

Ange on whether our European celebrations will affect our team selection

“Yes, we’ll field a team! As I’ve got older, I used to be a bit different but I really feel you need to celebrate your achievements properly. That was my message to the boys. It’s really important because it’s important for them, because they’re the ones who have done it and achieved it. It’s important for the people around them because then they can relax and enjoy it as well and then it’s important to make the experience as memorable as possible because when I ask them to climb the mountain again, there’s a reason for it. It’s fair to say they took my words literally and certainly enjoyed themselves over the last couple of days! Like all parties there is always one family member who embarrasses you and you want to keep control of. Fair to say we had a couple of those, but again, it doesn’t make them bad people and they are probably the first ones you reinvite to the next party. The boys are all good. We’ll be good tomorrow.”

Ange on the players’ celebrations

“I stayed right away from it but I just love seeing it and it’s important the boys celebrated. We’ve been through a lot and it is part of how you create this winning mentality and bond because I am sure when they reflect, when they reflect on the game and the feelings afterwards, even the last 24 to 48 hours, the parade yesterday was just unbelievable, all those things are important.”

Ange on what this achievement does for us moving forward

“I said even before the game, I really believe we’re just building something and a significant win accelerates that. I really believe that is the case and I am not going to put a limit on what we can achieve. I certainly believe that it’s exciting the possibilities of next year knowing that we’re a group of players now and staff and a club that knows what it takes to win and wants more of it.”

Ange on his emotions over the last few days

“It’s hard to pin down because you go through a range of emotions, but tremendous pride more than anything else. It’s fair to say we’ve had a really tough time this year and that could have made my position really, really difficult, more difficult than people may imagine because I could have felt very isolated. You know the fact that this group and this staff that I work closely with stayed true, still believed in me, just tremendous pride to see that then come to fruition in something so special. That is why I love sitting back and watching players, staff, our supporters all rejoicing. You take on a great responsibility when you take over as manager of any football club. There is a lot resting on your shoulders and I can tell you every manager that has ever been fortunate enough to win something, the first feeling you have more than anything else is just relief. Relief that all the burden you have carried has been rewarded.”

Ange on the players’ feelings about finishing the league season with a win

“Look, it’s not through a lack of will or trying. As I said, it hasn’t been easy because I’m making seven or eight changes every game. Guys don’t have a rhythm, there’s no connections and we’ve suffered, but even withstanding that we should have been better. Tomorrow we know the fans are going to come to the ground, continue to celebrate and we still want to make it a good day for them. We want to perform well, we want to make sure that we finish the season off strong and we know we need to address our league form. I still believe where we are is not a true reflection of who we are as a team but, within that context, we still need to be better and that's what we’ll try and do tomorrow.”

Ange on players being determined to be involved on Sunday

“I think by the end of training they’re all keen to get out there and perform well. There will be a couple of absences, I should have mentioned that. Romero has been struggling with his toe for quite a while so we’ll leave him out and probably Sonny because his foot has still not healed. They’ve both made a massive effort to get to the final. Bissouma got a knock in the game and he’s kind of 50/50 at the moment. The rest of them, physically anyway, are okay.”

Ange on Dejan Kulusevski being unable to attend the victory parade

“There’s always those kinds of stories whenever it happens. I would have loved Deki to be there because he has been a big part of our season, a big part of what we did and he played such a crucial role at Bodo away to get to the final. I would have loved for him to experience that, but what it does do I know is it will fuel him even more. He’ll be even more determined that next time he will be there and that can only be a good thing for us.”

Ange on the players’ bond after winning the Europa League

“It is significant. They are forever connected now, irrespective of what their futures hold. They’re always going to be connected, they will always have the night in Bilbao, they will always have always be the ones that broke the drought and hopefully there isn’t another drought like it. They’ll always be remembered for that. I think it does bring them closer, which again as I was saying before, that’s how you create a winning culture because I am sure they want to experience it again together as a group. They want to have another moment, they want another night like Bilbao, they want to lift another trophy, they want to have another parade, they probably want to go out again and all those kinds of things. I think it does unite them to an even greater extent.”

Ange Postecoglou says captain Heung-Min Son and vice-captain Cristian Romero will miss Sunday’s final-day clash with Brighton & Hove Albion at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The Head Coach revealed at his pre-match press conference after training on Saturday that Son’s foot is still causing him a problem, while Romero has a toe issue which he’s battled on through in recent weeks, meaning both players will be held out of the match with the Seagulls.

Midfielder Yves Bissouma is also rated as 50/50 for the game after picking up a knock in Wednesday’s Europa League Final triumph over Manchester United.

“There will be a couple of absences,” Ange said. “Romero has been struggling with his toe for quite a while so we’ll leave him out, probably Sonny as well because his foot has still not healed. They both made a massive effort to get to the final. Bissouma got a knock in the game so he’s 50/50 at the moment but the rest of them physically are okay.”

The players have been in celebratory mood after tasting European glory this week which naturally might raise questions about our team line-up for Sunday, but Ange admitted he encouraged the players to “enjoy the moment” and underlined that we’ll be in good shape to face Brighton.

“I really feel you need to celebrate your achievements properly and that was kind of my message to the boys,” he said. “It’s important to make the experience as memorable as possible so that when I ask them to climb the mountain again, there’s a reason for it. It’s fair to say they’ve certainly enjoyed themselves over the last couple of days but the boys are all good, we’ll be good tomorrow.”

Dejan Kulusevski, James Maddison, Lucas Bergvall and Radu Dragusin remain out injured.

We will contest the UEFA Super Cup for the first time this August after our Europa League victory earned us a place in the Final.

UEFA's showpiece event, the Super Cup is an annual final which pits the winners of the Europa League and Champions League against each other in a one-off game.

Running since 1972 but initially pitting the winners of the European Cup against the holders of the European Cup Winners' Cup against each other up until 1999, this is the first time we have qualified for the Final in our history.

This year's final will take place on Wednesday 13 August in Guglielmo Vicario's home town of Udine, Italy, at Stadio Friuli and we shall face one of Paris Saint-Germain or Internazionale, who will contest the Champions League Final next Saturday. The Super Cup Final will kick-off at 8pm (UK).

We are the eighth English team in history to qualify for the Final with six of the seven having gone on to win it (Liverpool, Aston Villa, Chelsea, Manchester United, Manchester City, Nottingham Forest).

Both Paris Saint-Germain (1996) and Internazionale (2010) have previously played in the Final but both failed to win.

Tens of thousands of fans lined the streets of north London on Friday for our open-top bus parade after winning the UEFA Europa League.

Huge crowds gathered right across the route as Ange Postecoglou and the players triumphantly showed off the trophy won in Bilbao on Wednesday night from one of two specially-branded Lilywhite buses. The second vehicle featured support staff, who have as always given their all behind the scenes.

There were tears of joy as the convoy set off from Edmonton Green, making its way along the High Road and past Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – where fans packed around as far as the eye could see, with some climbing to raised positions and watching from nearby rooftops – before looping around via Lansdowne Road, Willoughby Lane and Northumberland Park Road and finishing back at the stadium.

From there, the players disembarked and made their way to a specially-erected stage outside the north-west corner of the ground, where they were introduced by Club host Paul Coyte to the delight of those watching on. Just like he did in Bilbao, captain Heung-Min Son lifted the trophy high above his head as music and chanting rang around the area with blue confetti and smoke raining down.

Winning goalscorer and birthday boy Brennan Johnson even received a cake and a huge rendition of ‘Happy Birthday’ from the crowd as he celebrated turning 24. Pedro Porro, meanwhile, led fans in chanting the now immortal “Johnson again” song!

A helicopter circled overhead, providing stunning television shots of the area as images from this amazing occasion were beamed around the world to millions via the Club’s official platforms and external broadcasters.

Club legends, who had earlier been interviewed on the stage, watched on from the stadium balcony with Club Ambassador Ossie Ardiles proudly declaring: “It’s absolutely incredible, absolutely wonderful. We have been waiting for this for a long time so what can I say? It’s absolutely beautiful.”

Ossie’s fellow countryman and close friend Ricky Villa was among several other star names from the past in attendance as the party continued into the evening.

Take a look through some of the photos below...

Ben Davies was one of a number of our players asked last week what it would mean to lift silverware for Spurs.

The longest-serving player of the current squad, Ben’s answer felt that all the more poignant. “To get over the line would mean so much,” he told us. “The teams we’ve had, the players we’ve had, we’ve all dreamt of this but just fallen short. Now we have the chance to do something special, to change the narrative, and we’re all hoping we can do that.”

“It’s special,” said Ben, medal around his neck. “It was a really emotional moment when the final whistle went. I know I didn’t play, but it still meant everything to win for this club. It’s my club now, I feel part of the family and I was delighted to be involved.

“I’ve given this club 11 years of my life. It’s become my club, along with the Swans, I have to say. I’ve worked hard, and I’ve dreamt of a moment like this for this club. We’ve come close a few times, and this is pretty special.

“This is what it’s about. I think the last time I won a trophy I was 19 years old. So, I’ve waited a while. I thought football was easy back then, but realised it can be tough. The years of effort, the dedication, the sacrifices with your life, your family, it’s worth it for moments like this.”

So, how did it feel to see his friend, godfather to his child and fellow Spurs stalwart of approaching 10 years, Heung-Min Son, lift that famous trophy? “It’s everything we wanted. We’ve been close we’ve given everything for a long time for this club and this makes it worth every second.”

Following our unforgettable, historic night in Bilbao on Wednesday, we’re looking forward to welcoming fans for our final game of the season this Sunday as we take on Brighton & Hove Albion at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (kick-off 4pm).

If you’re joining us at this fixture, please take note of the following travel information:

On Greater Anglia services, all services will run to/from Liverpool Street due to a track closure between Tottenham Hale/Meridian Water and Stratford.

The Piccadilly line will not be in operation between Hammersmith and Cockfosters, meaning Wood Green station will be closed. Our matchday shuttle bus service will still call at Wood Green, but please plan alternative travel to the station if you would ordinarily use the Tube network.

For fans travelling via Highbury and Islington, please note that there are substantial closures on the Mildmay line.

Frequent services are anticipated through White Hart Lane, Northumberland Park, Seven Sisters and Tottenham Hale before and after the game.

Supporters can stay up to date with the latest travel news via TfL.gov.uk and nationalrail.co.uk, and receive real-time updates via the Spurs Matchday Info channel on WhatsApp.

Stay up to date – Spurs Matchday Info on WhatsApp

You can stay up to date with important matchday information – including real-time travel updates – by following our new Spurs Matchday Info channel on WhatsApp.

Simply click here or search for Spurs Matchday Info in your WhatsApp Updates section.

Stations

Please note that Bruce Grove and Silver Street stations will be closed for two hours post-match on Sunday.

White Hart Lane

Six Weaver line services are expected to call at White Hart Lane in both directions before and after the game. Services operate between Liverpool Street and Enfield Town/Cheshunt.

Supporters travelling to Liverpool Street post-match are reminded that Northumberland Park services have greater capacity and frequency to those at White Hart Lane, and the journey time should be shorter as there are fewer stops.

White Hart Lane is a fully accessible station.

Northumberland Park

If travelling on Greater Anglia services, we recommend using Northumberland Park as it is a shorter distance to the stadium than Tottenham Hale. If you’re heading to Liverpool Street after the game, Northumberland Park will have a higher train capacity than White Hart Lane.

Due to track closures, there will be no trains to Stratford on Sunday. All Greater Anglia services will run to/from Liverpool Street, with the following services in operation through Northumberland Park:

Pre-match northbound: 6 trains per hour, including 2 Stansted Express services

Post-match northbound: 6 trains per hour, including 2 Stansted Express services

Pre-match southbound: 8 trains per hour, including 4 Stansted Express services

Post-match southbound: 8 trains per hour, including 4 Stansted Express services

Tottenham Hale

Tottenham Hale is a fully accessible station and is served by the Victoria line and Greater Anglia services.

Supporters travelling on the Victoria line are encouraged to use Tottenham Hale rather than Seven Sisters as it is a shorter journey to and from the stadium. Victoria line services will operate every 2-3 minutes in both directions before and after the game.

There will be 8 Greater Anglia services per hour operating in each direction through Tottenham Hale, including 4 Stansted Express trains each way. We recommend using Northumberland Park for Greater Anglia services as it is a shorter distance to the stadium than Tottenham Hale.

Due to track closures, there will be no trains to Stratford on Sunday, with all Greater Anglia services through Tottenham Hale running to/from Liverpool Street.

Seven Sisters

Victoria line services will be operating every 2-3 minutes in each direction before and after the game.

Pre-match, a diversion route will be in place at Birstall Road for pedestrians entering Seven Sisters station for interchange between the Victoria line and London Overground services. This is to avoid congestion on the northbound platform.

We encourage supporters to consider using Tottenham Hale for Victoria Line services as it is a shorter distance to the stadium than Seven Sisters.

Queue management

Queue management systems will be in place at all stations for the safety of all passengers and staff.

At each station, the queue management staff are in contact with the Station Managers who will confirm when platforms are clear to enable more passengers to enter the station. For the safety of all passengers and staff, supporters are kindly asked to cooperate with station staff and always follow their instructions.

Shuttle buses

The Club operates a free Shuttle Bus service from Wood Green (Piccadilly Line) and Alexandra Palace (Great Northern) stations to the stadium.

Due to the closure of the Piccadilly line between Hammersmith and Cockfosters, Wood Green station will be closed on Sunday. The Shuttle Bus will still call at Wood Green, but please plan alternative travel to the station if you would ordinarily use the Tube network.

The Great Northern line will operate at 5 trains per hour each way through Alexandra Palace before and after the match.

Fans making their way to this afternoon’s open-top bus victory parade are strongly encouraged to read our updated travel advice to support their journeys to and from the parade route.

This update includes station-specific information for before and after the event.

Full details of the parade route and expected timings can be found in our original announcement. As a reminder, due to the planned, phased closure of roads impacted by the parade route and the likely increase in traffic in the local area, fans have been strongly encouraged not to drive to the parade.

As previously communicated, please expect lengthy queues at stations, particularly post-event. We kindly ask for your patience and co-operation with stewards and station staff as they assist fans in travelling safely.

Travelling to the parade – station information

White Hart Lane

White Hart Lane station is expected to be extremely busy. To prevent overcrowding, the station may be required to close and some services may not stop. Fans can instead use Bruce Grove or Silver Street stations to walk to the parade route.

Seven Sisters

Seven Sisters station is also expected to be very busy. Supporters are encouraged not to interchange from the Victoria line to London Overground (Weaver line) services as these trains are likely to be full on arrival. A one-way system will be in operation where supporters will be required to exit the station and re-enter via Birstall Road.

Supporters will find it quicker to walk to the parade route form this station.

Tottenham Hale

Supporters should strongly consider using this station and walking to the parade route, especially if coming from Liverpool Street or Stratford, which are served by frequent National Rail services.

Northumberland Park

A limited service will operate to this station from both the north and from central London, with services expected to have limited capacity.

Please consider using Tottenham Hale or Meridian Water stations and walking to the parade route.

Bruce Grove

The area around White Hart Lane station is expected to be extremely busy and trains may be required not to stop. Supporters may therefore find it easier to access the parade route by alighting services at Bruce Grove and walking the short distance to the parade route.

Please note, this station is likely to be closed post-event.

Silver Street

Please consider using this station and walking to the parade route. This station will likely be closed post-event.

Edmonton Green

Edmonton Green station is expected to be extremely busy after the parade route has passed the area. The station may be required to close or operate as exit-only to prevent overcrowding. Should supporters be overcarried to the north to Southbury or Bush Hill Park, we advise using the next southbound service and alighting at either Edmonton Green or Silver Street which is also located on the parade route.

Travelling home - station information

White Hart Lane

White Hart Lane station is expected to be extremely busy after the parade and will have a managed queuing system in place. Due to the proximity of the parade route and volume of people wishing to use services, White Hart Lane may be required to close for periods of time and the time to board services may be considerably longer than normal.

Supporters are advised to walk further away from the parade route to stations such as Tottenham Hale or Seven Sisters which may allow you to board services quicker.

Seven Sisters

Seven Sisters station is expected to be very busy with a managed queuing system in place to enter the station. Post-event, the queue times may exceed an hour. Please consider using Turnpike Lane station (Piccadilly line) which is a 35-minute walk via West Green Road/Philip Lane.

Tottenham Hale

Tottenham Hale is expected to be busy, with a managed queuing system in operation to enter the stadium. Queue times to enter the station post-event may exceed an hour.

Northumberland Park

To prevent overcrowding, no northbound services will operate at this station post-event.

There will be limited southbound services from this station, with long wait times expected to board services. Supporters may find it quicker to walk to Tottenham Hale, where there is a much more frequent service both northbound and southbound to Liverpool Street and Stratford.

Bruce Grove

As per normal matchday operations, this station is likely to be CLOSED after the event to prevent overcrowding on services. It will re-open when safe to do so.

Silver Street

As per normal matchday operations, this station is likely to be CLOSED after the event to prevent overcrowding on services. It will re-open when safe to do so.

Edmonton Green

This station is likely to be CLOSED at times due the proximity of the station to the parade route. The station will re-open when safe to do so.

LIVE coverage of Europa League victory celebrations  Tottenham Hotspur

Ange on if this is his biggest achievement...

"Look, I feel if I say that it diminishes the other achievements, not for me, but the people I've shared them with. It's definitely been the toughest thing I've ever done, without a shadow of a doubt. And I knew that going into it. This club's had some unbelievable world class coaches, world class players and they haven't had a night like this. And it's fair to say that it's been really challenging because wherever else I've had success, by this stage I've kind of had the faith and trust of everybody. Here it's been different. And I understand. That's not a criticism. It's just I think, because of the club, and the way, it's history, I don't think they could ever go all-in on one person. For me that's always how it's worked well, when people back my vision. But within that, I think when we got to the end of January, the end of the transfer window, and assessed our situation, I just made a decision there and then that this was the trophy we were going to go for. And probably was at odds with what other people at the club believed at the time we should do. Again, that's understandable. But I just really believed we could win this. And everything we've done since then, everything we've done in terms of games, the teams I've selected, has been about making sure that when these games came around, the Europa games, that we're in the best possible condition to tackle them. That's come at a cost, for sure, in the league. And I've got to take the responsibility for that. I just felt like the end-game of winning something was more important, and it was the only way I was going to do it."

Ange on being hungry to drive the club forward...

"Very. Because we've got a really young group of players. And you can talk to them about success and what it means, but until they feel it, it doesn't become real. I've got no doubt that all those boys tonight, having this feeling will want it again. And to get it again they're going to have to make similar sacrifices. They've climbed the mountain now. They know what it takes to get to where we are. I think that does, it accelerates the opportunities to build a team who can be successful, and play at a high standard for years to come. As I said yesterday, I still feel there's a lot of work to be done, I think that's quite obvious. But not as much work as people may think. People can bang on about 20 league defeats and where we are, but they're missing the point of what we're trying to build, or what I'm trying to do anyway. I really feel that tonight can be a great platform for us to kick on."

Ange on our 'ruthless' style on show against Eintracht Frankfurt, Bodo/Glimt and now United...

"I've always had a lot of success in my career, not just in winning leagues but also... in Australia I grew up playing finals football to win a championship. Knockout football is always different. All my teams have always played a little bit different in knockout games, because you know that you've got to have a real clear game plan. Big games come down to moments. You've got to limit the moments for the opposition. You've got to change your approach. The players embraced that because that was always going to be our approach in Europe and it's why we did well in the Carabao Cup. We beat some decent teams in the Carabao Cup, including City, United and we beat Liverpool in the first leg playing a similar way. But also it helps that I've got Van de Ven and Romero and Vicario, Udogie and Porro and all these guys available. Again that was part of the mindset of making sure they were available for these big games. I thought the lads handled it, the whole Europa knockout stages brilliantly. They knew what we had to do and we were really efficient with what we did. They got their just rewards."

Ange on what this win would mean for his dad and back home in Australia...

"He's still with me mate. His voice is in my head all the time and as I get older I look in the mirror and I see his face sometimes, as frightening as that might seem. He's with me all the time mate and my dear mum is with my sister in Greece and my nephews and I'm sure they're over the moon. Yeah, it's massive in Australia and in Greece. I've got family in both countries and friends in both countries. They've been along for the journey the whole way. It's hard because I'm big enough and ugly enough to take whatever comes my way, but they get hurt when people come at me and they pay the price, particularly those closest to me, my beautiful family and my friends. They want to defend me but I keep telling them it's a small price to pay when you have nights like this. I've been fortunate that I've had plenty of nights like this. Just seeing them tonight and everyone in Australia, they'll be up early in the morning and they'll be buzzing, and people in Greece and the people here with me. It's another special night we share together."

Ange on standing back during the celebrations and if the win was a sense of relief...

"Ah, there is huge relief. You ask any manager and I'm telling ya, that is the biggest feeling because you carry the weight of responsibility. I think this is maybe our 59th or 60th game this year and that means me and Anthony have been in front of you guys 120 times. Plus the extras we do, that probably 150 or 160 times I've been a spokesperson for this football club. I know everything I say is important. Fair to say I don't always get it right. All that kind of responsibility weighs on your shoulder, so it's relief, but I am also a lot older than them guys and I've learnt to understand what makes nights like this memorable is to remember them. I kind of stand back and watch everyone else enjoy it. That is all I need."

Gallery | Europa League trophy scenes!  Tottenham Hotspur