Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino has revealed that he did not contact Leicester City boss Claudio Ranieri to congratulate him on winning the Premier League last campaign.
Spurs emerged as Leicester’s closest title challengers towards the end of last season but their surge came too late as Ranieri set his team up to finish what they had so spectacularly started.
Leicester travel to White Hart Lane on Saturday to face a Spurs team who remain unbeaten in the Premier League this season, knowing that they already have some catching up to do.
Pochettino said, as reported by the Daily Mail: “No, I never phoned him. I relayed my message in a press conference. My first sentence was to congratulate them and to send a message through the TV.
“But I am not fake – I was not happy. It is like when we are fighting on the bench with the other bench and the culture here is to share a glass of wine in the manager’s room after the game.
“I congratulated Claudio and all the fans of Leicester and the coaching staff and players but I wasn’t happy. I am not angry now, but still disappointed. Always to be so close to the glory, that is sad. But no complaints, Leicester deserved it.”
After trying and failing to haul back Leicester while picking up just one point from their two league games against Ranieri’s men last season, Spurs will be eager to prove that they are the team on the rise when the two teams face off.
Tottenham fell to their first domestic defeat of the season in midweek but Pochettino made a number of changes for that game, while giving youth a chance to shine.
Leicester have been extremely poor in the league games directly leading up to a Champions League fixture, and with a match against FC Copenhagen scheduled for Tuesday Ranieri may have sights set on progressing in Europe’s top competition yet again.
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