SPURS DEFENDER TOBY Alderweireld has played in the Champions League final before and is determined to win against Liverpool this time after the disappointment of defeat in 2014.
The Belgium international was at Atletico Madrid at the time and came on in the last ten minutes to shut the game down for Diego Simeone’s men, who lead 1-0 at the time.
Sadly for Atleti, Real came back through a Sergio Ramos header before running out 4-1 winners after extra time.
He is hell bent on not feeling the grief he felt at that time and says his team mates are right alongside him.
“We were so close to winning it,” Alderweireld told reporters on Wednesday.
“Ramos scored in the 90th minute or something so, yeah, the feeling of losing, not winning it is very hard.
“It was [difficult to deal with] because I was 25 years old. It was a strange moment.
“Everyone is saying it is unbelievable about Spurs getting to the final but we’re not happy with playing a final – we want to win it.”
In order to win it, Tottenham must play at their best and their stopper says they’ve been training like animals to bring the trophy to north London.
“In the last couple of weeks we’ve been training like animals,” the 30-year-old continued.
We’re trying to give our best every day because that is the way we need to work to be in the right state for the final. Everybody wants to be there, to be involved and give their best, and the final is not going to start on Saturday – it started two weeks ago.”
Although this is Spurs first Champions League final, many of their players, including Alderweireld, played in the World Cup semi-finals last summer.
He believes this experience will stand them in good stead in Madrid on Saturday.
“I think we have quite a mature group so I don’t have to talk too much, but I think just to stay calm and do the normal things.
“A lot of players have played in really big games, World Cups and stuff like this, so we know what to do. Of course, the tension will get more as the week goes on but we have the maturity in our group and that is not a problem.”
Gavan Casey is joined by Murray Kinsella and Sean Farrell for a review of the 2018/19 season, and cast an eye forward to next year and the Rugby World Cup in Japan.:
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