Mauricio Pochettino takes huge pride in Tottenham despite defeat in Champions League final

There were no tears at the end to match the tears of joy at Ajax. Mauricio Pochettino admits he likes a good cry. But this wasn’t that kind of night.

An extraordinary journey had come to conclusion. It really should have come to its natural end on a bleak autumnal night in Eindhoven, when they had one point from three games.

Or maybe in the Nou Camp in December, when they were five minutes from exiting in the group stages. When Raheem Sterling scored in the quarter finals, they were surely dead? 

Divock Origi’s goal late on made it 2-0 and sealed the victory for Liverpool in the final

Still, when Ajax took a 3-0 lead 35 minutes into the second leg of the semi finals, there was a final act in the making.

Yet they survived it all. Somehow they came though. In the end logic would prevail. It usually does. 

Spurs couldn’t play the odds so recklessly and always survive. Even if, in the final analysis, they would have more possession and many more shots on target than their opponents, it was as though they had used up all their magical powers over the season and had nothing left to give.

‘It would have been incredible to win and lift the trophy’, said Pochettino, top two buttons of his shirt undone but looking almost as smart as he had started the night in a deep, dark blue suit. 

‘And it would have surprised people because the last five years, the priority was to build the stadium. And we have spent zero pounds. We’re not smartest, but not the thickest either. It’s an incredible achievement and we deserve credit and the fan base deserve credit because it was historic.’

Pochettino said his side were unlucky and deserve great credit for their season

It was indeed. A team that spent nothing and endured a season without a proper home came close to winning the biggest trophy of all. And for Pochettino, you wonder whether that marks the end of a chapter in his life or the start of a new era for him at Spurs.

‘It’s not a moment now to talk too much,’ he said. ‘You can interpret thing in different ways.’ He alluded to those snide asides about the fact that he has yet to win a trophy in management. 

‘Some people want to compare me but this is a different project and a different place. Some people want to give opinions. After five years, it’s so clear our project, our ambition, our amazing communion with players. The club played for the first time in history in the Champions League final.

‘The season was fantastic. It’s going to be painful because we lose. But at same time need to be positive. It’s time to stay calm, change mood and change mind and have time to talk.’

Some time this week, Pochettino will doubtless sit down with his chairman Daniel Levy and you suspect the pair of them will reflect on something extraordinary. 

Spurs have a bright future despite the bitterly disappointing night, says Pochettino

The fact that it didn’t have a glittery piece of metal at the end of it doesn’t make it meaningless. Out of that, you would imagine Pochettino will find the will power to carry on and make the gleaming new stadium that Levy has built him home for the immediate future.

Pochettino has constructed a team that matches Levy’s stadium. They seem good together. One member of staff descries the last five years of the Pochettino-Levy axis as ‘an incredible adventure.’ 

Another close to the club said: ‘They have the training ground, stadium and team: it’s not often you get all three as world class together.’

Tottenham are the team that used to be the punchline of an Alex Ferguson team talk. ‘Come on lads, it’s only Spurs,’ Ferguson would tell his players.

‘Only Spurs’ may not quite be champions of Europe. But they weren’t far off. And Manchester United aren’t even close. That’s how far they have come.