Tomorrow night brings the first all-Premier League Champions League final since Manchester United beat Chelsea on penalties in Moscow, back in 2008.
It’s a match between two clubs starving for a trophy, and it’s simply going to be massive for whichever side claims the long awaited piece of silverware. Let’s run through some of the major storylines for the epic showdown at the Wanda Metropolitan Stadium in Madrid; now from the Tottenham Hotspur perspective.
(For the Liverpool side go to this link)
Liverpool vs Tottenham Hotspur UEFA Champions League Final FYIs
Kickoff: Saturday, June 1, 8pm, Wanda Metropolitano Stadium, Madrid
Injury Report: Tottenham Hotspur Liverpool
Exclusive interview/match preview with LFC UCL legend Vladimir Smicer: part 1 part 2
Starting XI Predictions: Liverpool Tottenham Hotspur
Manager Press Conference Videos and Quotes: Mauricio Pochettino Jurgen Klopp
-It’s fair to say that this could be the biggest game in club history, and it might also serve as the last match of the Mauricio Pochettino era; regardless of result. Pochettino, weeks ago, hinted at the idea of going out on top, and possibly exiting the north London side should he achieve European glory here.
In the run-up to this match he said that he won’t be discussing his future until after the game.
Although he has yet to win a trophy with Spurs, he has achieved quite a bit. He’s taken Tottenham up to the level where they’re consistently in the top four, and this has been accomplished despite pretty much zero help from his club’s board in the transfer market.
If Poch is on his way out, then Juventus could be the destination. The Argentine was also heavily targeted by Manchester United before they settled on promoting Ole Gunnar Solskjaer from interim to full time.
-Another important Spurs figure who could be on his way out is winger Christian Eriksen. The Danish superstar has enjoyed six fine years with the north London side, but he is now being linked with a move to Real Madrid, where he would enjoy a massive rise in pay grade.
However, Eriksen is not discussing his future before the big game either. According to Football London, he even cut one interview off and stormed out after he was asked about his future.
He allegedly said: “Not talking about that. Final focus.”
Finally, central defender Jan Vertonghen, who had been a fitness concern, but is full go for Saturday night now, is hoping they will raise the trophy, and in doing so end the “craziest year.”
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” regularly appears on WGN CLTV and co-hosts the “Let’s Get Weird, Sports” podcast on SB Nation.
Banks, a former writer for NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, also contributes to Chicago Now. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram. The content of his cat’s Instagram account is unquestionably superior to his.