Jose Mourinho and Hugo Lloris launched a scathing attack on the Tottenham team after their torrid Europa League exit to Dinamo Zagreb, with the Spurs boss now even money favourite in the Premier League sack race.
Spurs had one foot in the quarter-finals after last week’s 2-0 first-leg win, but crumbled in Croatia, succumbing to Mislav Orsic’s sensational hat-trick to lose 3-2 on aggregate after extra-time.
👀 Jose is NOT happy.
— Sporting Life Football (@SportingLifeFC) March 18, 2021
🛑 Spurs dumped out of the Europa League by Dinamo Zagreb.
Deservedly.
pic.twitter.com/4Q8eB86nIA
"I am disappointed for a difference of attitude of one team to another, I can only praise Dinamo," said Mourinho.
"I feel sorry that my team is the team that didn't bring to the game not just the basics of football but the basics of life, which is to respect our jobs and to give everything.
Odds correct at 09:10 (19/03/21)
"I can only apologise to the Tottenham supporters. I hope they feel the same way I feel.
"Today is live or die - and in this moment, we die."
"It's just a disgrace. I hope everyone in the changing room feels responsible."
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) March 18, 2021
Hugo Lloris didn't hold back following Tottenham's Europa League exit.#UEL pic.twitter.com/dl7JZYS8am
Club captain Lloris was as equally damning as his manager when also speaking to BT Sport.
"It's a disgrace," the club captain said. "I hope everyone in the changing room feels responsible.
"The taste of the defeat is more than painful and we are all responsible.
"We are a club full of ambition but the team at the moment is a reflection of what is going on in the club. Lack of basics, lack of fundamentals. Mentally we should be stronger, more competitive.
"We had great moments in the past because we could trust the togetherness in the team. Today I am not sure about that."
Mourinho was already under pressure coming into the tie, after his side put in a dismal performance in their defeat to north London rivals Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday.
Tottenham are now six points behind Chelsea and the Champions League places, their only remaining route into next season's elite European competition.
Mourinho was hired by Tottenham to bring tangible success to the club in the form of silverware.
Their season could still bring that, with Spurs set to face Manchester City in April’s Carabao Cup final, but this prospect of a first trophy in 13 years is the only thing keeping the Portuguese coach in a job right now.
Despite little evidence his side will actually win that match.
Even at half-time in their second leg it seemed unthinkable that Spurs would not progress, but Orsic struck twice in the second half to send it to extra-time and then won it with 14 minutes remaining.
Mourinho insisted before the game that the tie was still open but he cannot have been accounting for what was going to happen.
His side lacked intensity and were bereft of any real attacking quality as they struggled to create the opportunities for a goal that would have killed the tie.
They had fleeting moments, but were always inviting pressure on themselves with their inability to keep the ball. Once they went one goal down, it seemed almost inevitable the underdogs would storm to a win.
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