Tottenham Hotspur defender Toby Alderweireld has claimed that any team is capable of winning the Champions League "if they put their minds to it".
The Belgium international was part of an Atletico Madrid side that upset the odds to win the La Liga title in 2014, and they also reached the Champions League final that season but were beaten by rivals Real Madrid.
Tottenham, who failed to make their mark in the Europa League in each of the last two seasons, face CSKA Moscow in their second group match of the Champions League this evening.
Mauricio Pochettino's side suffered a 2-1 defeat in their opening match against AS Monaco, but Alderweireld believes that the team can take inspiration from Atletico.
"Every team can win the Champions League if they put their minds to it," the London Evening Standard quotes Alderweireld as saying. "If you have a good squad and the hunger is there to win something, you can do it.
"At Atletico, we were up against big teams like Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich - they were always the favourites. But if you are a really good group - and of course we had quality too - you can win it.
"That's the thing that stayed with me. If you are a good team and a good squad and your mind is on winning, you have a chance. That is what I learned the most."
The 27-year-old spent two years on Atletico's books before signing for Spurs in 2015.
Danielle Joynson
