MX23RW : Thursday, December 19 08:45:11| >> :120:36735:36735:
[monks data]
Attendance: 63,272
Spurs logo
Champions League | Final
Jun 1, 2019 at 8pm UK
 
Liverpool logo

0-2

FT(HT: 0-1)
Salah (2' pen.), Origi (87')

Jan Vertonghen reflects on "craziest year" ahead of Champions League reckoning

Jan Vertonghen reflects on
© Reuters
Spurs have been 10 minutes or less from going out on five occasions in this season's Champions League.

Jan Vertonghen is desperate to make sure Tottenham's "craziest year" ends in Champions League glory.

Spurs have got to the all-English final against Liverpool the hard way as their journey to Madrid has been full of drama.

They have been 10 minutes or less from going out on five occasions, including three times in the group stage, and the late action in their quarter-final at Manchester City and semi-final at Ajax led to some of the most famous scenes in the club's history.

Such a dramatic route to the final has led to the word destiny getting used a lot.

"I think every player has been used in the Champions League and played his part," he said.

"It's been the craziest one ever and being at the end of that crazy campaign now is something unbelievable.

Tottenham Hotspur Champions League Press Day – Enfield Training Ground
Jan Vertonghen, left, and fellow defender Toby Alderweireld during a training session (Paul Harding/PA)

"We all played our parts and hopefully we can hold the trophy at the end of the game.

"In the group stages, we should not have lost that away game at Inter, we got one point after three games, the Barca away game... there are so many I can't tell them all but it's been crazy.

"To be playing in a Champions League final is something to cherish.

"How many games have we played to get here eventually? Twelve games? In every single one of them, something crazy happened.

"At the end of my career, I'll hopefully look at this and think this was the most beautiful and craziest year of them all.

"I don't know about destiny. We have to win it, if it is to be destiny. We feel very confident because of our campaign as well.

"I will always be able to say I was part of a Champions League final but you want to tell a different story to your kids and this is the ideal script."

Tottenham got to final after a memorable night at Ajax in the semi-final
Tottenham got to final after a memorable night at Ajax in the semi-final (Adam Davy/PA)

Their run to the Champions League final – the biggest game of the club's illustrious career – is the culmination of a five-year project under boss Mauricio Pochettino.

No one expected them to be challenging for such honours so quickly, having also been title contenders for the Premier League in 2016, but Vertonghen always knew something special was possible.

"The first two years I was here were Europa League nights, but it's what we've been working on," he added.

"Maybe outside, they did not expect a Champions League final, and I can understand that.

"But I think we've got an unbelievable group of players. There's so much quality. Quality-wise, for me, it's not a surprise.

"Five years ago, he picked this club up and brought us to the level we are at now. He's done some unbelievable work.

"We have a great group of players, lots of young guys from the academy, lots of English internationals and guys from abroad who have a proper connection with the club now.

"All the guys together, here for so long with the manager, it's got us to this level.

"We always want to remember this team as a team that was able to win the trophy. I'm sure we have the quality to do so."

ga('create', 'UA-72310761-1', 'auto', {'name': 'pacontentapi'});
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'referrer', location.origin);
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension1', 'By Jonathan Veal, Press Association Sport');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension2', '1144202b-a2bd-441f-accb-af60f89a7058');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension3', 'paservice:sport,paservice:sport:club-news,paservice:sport:football,paservice:sport:uk,paservice:sport:world');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension6', 'story');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension7', 'composite');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension8', null);
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension9', 'sport:football');
ga('pacontentapi.send', 'pageview', { 'location': location.href, 'page': (location.pathname + location.search + location.hash), 'title': 'Jan Vertonghen hopes \u2018crazy\u2019 Champions League campaign ends in glory'});

ID:360735: cacheID:360735:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:17596:
Written by
P A
No Data Analysis info
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane scores against Borussia Dortmund in their Champions League clash on March 5, 2019
Read Next:
How Spurs could line up against Liverpool
>
Read more about Jan Vertonghen Football
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS

League Phase

TeamPWDLPTS
1Liverpool660018
2Barcelona650115
3B. Leverkusen641113
4Inter Milan641113
5Brest641113
6Arsenal641113
7Aston Villa641113
8Lille641113
9Bayern640212
10Dortmund640212
11Atletico640212
12AC Milan640212
13Atalanta632111
14Juventus632111
15Benfica631210
16Feyenoord631210
17Brugge631210
18Monaco631210
19Sporting Lisbon631210
20Real Madrid63039
21Celtic62319
22Man City62228
23PSV62228
24Dinamo Zagreb62228
25PSG62137
26Stuttgart62137
27Shakhtar61144
28Sparta Prague61144
29Sturm Graz61053
30Girona61053
31Red Star61053
32Salzburg61053
33Bologna60242
34RB Leipzig60060
35Slovan Bratislava60060
36Young Boys60060


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!