A former Spurs player criticizes Daniel Levy ahead of the UCL final against Liverpool, while the Reds face an injury setback with key players sidelined before their clash with Manchester City.
Former Spurs Star Blasts Levy Before UCL Final vs. L’pool
Lloris recently shared that Levy brought the whole squad together to gift them custom luxury watches engraved with “Finalist,” a gesture that left players feeling uneasy before the biggest match in the club’s history.
Hugo Lloris Criticizes Levy for UCL Final Gesture
Looking back on the moment in an interview with The Guardian, Lloris remembered:
“We do all have one engraved memory, though. Four days before the final, Daniel Levy called us all together to announce that, with the support of a sponsor, we would each receive a luxury aviator watch from the club.”
“At first, we were excited to see the elegant boxes. Then we opened them and discovered that he’d had the back of each timepiece engraved with the player’s name and ‘Champions League Finalist 2019’. ‘Finalist.’ Who does such a thing at a moment like this? I still haven’t got over it, and I’m not alone.
“If we’d won, he wouldn’t have asked for the watches back to have ‘Winner’ engraved instead. I have considerable respect and esteem for the man and all he has done for the club as chairman – I got to know him – but there are things he is simply not sensitive to. As magnificent as the watch is, I have never worn it.”
Tottenham’s Remarkable Champions League Journey
Tottenham’s journey to the 2019 Champions League final under Mauricio Pochettino is still one of the club’s greatest achievements.
After fighting through a challenging group stage and winning 4-0 overall over Borussia Dortmund in the Round of 16, Spurs faced Manchester City in the quarter-finals. In a thrilling second leg full of VAR drama, Tottenham progressed on away goals.
The semi-final against Ajax highlighted Tottenham’s determination as they came back from a 3-0 aggregate deficit, with Lucas Moura’s dramatic hat-trick securing their place in the club’s first-ever Champions League final.
Despite their remarkable journey, Spurs lost 2-0 to Liverpool in Madrid, with the “Finalist” watches serving as a bittersweet reminder of what could have been.
Hugo Lloris slipped down the hierarchy last season under new manager Ange Postecoglou, who brought in Guglielmo Vicario as his replacement.
Despite being left out of the squad, Lloris demonstrated steadfast professionalism and dedication to Tottenham, offering strong support to Vicario behind the scenes and assisting him in adapting to the club.
He ultimately departed Tottenham in December of last year to join Los Angeles FC after a decade of service at the North London club, leaving as a contemporary legend.
Liverpool Hit by Injury Blow Ahead of Man City Clash
Diogo Jota may miss the Premier League clash with Manchester City and the Champions League game against Real Madrid due to an upper-body injury sustained in Liverpool’s 2-1 win over Chelsea on October 20.
Jota was expected to return after the international break for Liverpool’s matches against Southampton, Real Madrid, and Manchester City. However, after missing five games, he’ll likely be back in December for the trips to Newcastle and Everton.
“We expect him back after the international break,” Liverpool head coach Arne Slot said on Friday. “Now, after the international break is six or seven months (of the season) to go! “He added, “He will be back one or two weeks after the international break.”
With Jota out, Slot has reshuffled his attack. Darwin Nunez led the line in three matches, scoring the winner against RB Leipzig, while Luis Diaz scored a hat-trick in the 4-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen.
In the League Cup win at Brighton, Liverpool chose to play without a traditional number nine, according to the Liverpool Echo. Alisson Becker, Harvey Elliott, and Federico Chiesa will also stay sidelined until after the international break, with no confirmed return date for any of them.
Stay on Top of the Game! Get the latest football news, updates, and insights delivered straight to your inbox.
Subscribe Now
