Mauricio Pochettino said he hoped Tottenham could play their Champions League quarter-final at their new stadium rather than Wembley after they recorded a 1-0 win to dispatch Borussia Dortmund with a 4-0 aggregate last-16 triumph.
The Spurs manager let slip he is in line to be banned from the touchline for Saturday's Premier League game at Southampton, having pleaded guilty to the improper conduct charge he received for verbally abusing the referee, Mike Dean, on the pitch after the defeat at Burnley.
Pochettino is deeply unhappy at the sanction, which he suggested would be announced on Wednesday at 10am. But this was a night when he could bask in the resilience of his players and a clinical finish from Harry Kane that made the difference.
Spurs will play their quarter-final first-leg on April 9th or 10th, with the return leg on April 16th or 17th – and Pochettino believes the club could be in their new £1bn stadium by then.
“I was talking yesterday with Daniel [Levy, the Spurs chairman] and he was very positive,” Pochettino said. “We were sitting and listening to the Champions League song and saying it will be amazing to be in the new stadium, listening to that song before the game. Now we are in the quarter-finals, I hope we can finish [THE STADIUM]and we can listen to the song there.”
On his touchline ban, Pochettino said: “You are going to see why tomorrow I am not going to talk. I am very disappointed [with the Football Association], I don’t think that is going to change but I don’t care, we are going to be strong.
“If we are not going to receive help from our football people in our country, only I can laugh. You are going to see tomorrow why I am not so happy with the people.”
Guardian services
