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Some Spurs fans weren't very happy with what you said about egos and trophies, can you understand why they were upset?

First of all I don't know if our fans were happy or unhappy because I don't follow social media, that is good for me, than I think you take in a negative way my comment.

I think it's so important to clarify because you're now asking different people about my comment. I know now that talk about ego is a negative expression in England. In different countries, maybe because it's different cultures, people talk about ego more superficially.

I think in the last few years we are talking because you are asking me if to win a domestic cup like the Carabao Cup or FA Cup will help the club to achieve the last level.

I think that is the principal thing that we need to clarify, our fans need to know, when you ask me if I agree to win a domestic cup will help us to achieve the last level, I cannot agree. I only wanted to translate that we are doing fantastic things in the last few years, we are focused on different things, not only to win. Because football is about every game to win, no one thinks different, no one players, manager or club think differently.

If today, which club is at bottom, Huddersfield, they talk about to win, Liverpool talk about to win, that is not a point to make a debate. Only I wanted to translated when you ask me to help the club to be in last stage, last level, like United, City, Liverpool, Chelsea, and maybe Arsenal, I don't believe it is the right way.

But if you ask me afterwards if I want to win, of course I want to win. I am not a naive person who does not want to win. Not because I want to be like this or that, I think it's a point that we cannot debate. To clarify that it's tough for me because after three or four seasons we are talking always in a similar way about to debate about the cups, the cups, the cups. Of course I want to win and build my CV, winning titles. I am the first that wants to win.

In the last four or five years we played in four semi-finals, one final, I think we try, we were there, we were close, and in last three seasons, we are consistently playing Champions League, be in the top four. If you say to me ‘how we can help the club to be in the last level?, it's about improving every season, improving our structure, our way to operate, improving our squad, improving our facilities, and I think if you make the list you can nearly tick all the boxes. We are so close, we need to try to keep working, the fans that are not happy, of course with perspective in the future they are going to appreciate the job everyone is doing at this football club.

Of course patience is difficult in football, like in life, we see something and we want it straight away. Football is about building, believing and to keep working hard and develop the project and it's easy to destroy but it’s so difficult to build. A lot of examples no? To build a new stadium, the club is working during 18 years, and to destroy the old White Hart Lane was easy, in one afternoon, yes? That is always the difficult thing to explain, but the most important thing that we need to translate to our fans, always I talk about my club not another manager, I don't talk about what they're doing in another club.

If I talk about my club, that is Tottenham, only is to translate to our fans that we are in a good direction, working hard to deliver things, only we need to have faith and keep working.

Like I told you in the press conference after the FA Cup, it's going to arrive the moment to win. In the moment that you are going to be consistent, fighting for big things and improving the way that you're going to operate, the team improving and everything, of course you are going to be close to win. At the moment we are trying but it is tough to win, we try, we are in many things focused, but I think when we look with perspective the club is doing a fantastic job.

Is this a view shared by Daniel Levy that it's not about winning trophies short term, it's about the bigger picture?

Of course, when we talk and always with all respect because I always talk the same. Ok I'm going to use a different example from a different country. If you are at Real Madrid, you only think about winning trophies, there is not another point. In Tottenham when we arrive here four years and a half ago it was a completely different challenge for the club.

To build that quality or philosophy is tough. If you want Tottenham one day be at the same level of Real Madrid but, that is the most important thing, the bigger picture is we are going to have amazing stadium, one of the best stadiums in the world.

If you want to be one of the best teams in the world you need to have one of the best stadiums in the world. If you want to be one of the best teams in the world, you have to have the best facilities, one of the best training grounds in the world. We have that. You need to make that unbelievable effort to build all that. Then in the moment that you have all that ready that is not going to be an excuse afterwards, only we need to be focused to try to win titles.

Like right now we are focused on trying to win every game in every competition, but for different reasons we are still missing something that means we cannot deliver. Of course we know very well and we are the first that are disappointed but we are trying with all our capacity and we are so, so conscious that we are giving our best to try and and achieve all the people want. But we cannot underestimate all the club is doing in the last few years, or this group of players and staff, because we have been competing with all the circumstances in last four years, the people thinking we are real contenders, that we have capacity to compete against big sides, fighting is a massive praise, not criticism and I take it as a positive. It's a moment to explain a little bit more the big picture. It's so important because sometimes the people can get confused.

Do you see a point where Tottenham are at the same level as Real?

In the future? Of course. It’s like if you ask me about tomorrow I believe we are going to win, and I believe Tottenham have all basis and is going to have all the infrastructure to one day maybe be at the same level. It’s all about believing and building your history. If you don’t try and don’t start, it’s difficult, but that’s a normal process when you want to be one of the best teams in England first and compete with these big sides. They’re there because of history or because they’re in a different level today to us, for different circumstances. But I think Tottenham have all the infrastructure today, or is going to have the infrastructure to one day be a club that can be a contender for every single title.

What about team news, is Son fit?

Yes, Son come back and today was good in training. Maybe after the third game he played in between Dubai and Emirates he felt empty because he was so disappointed, but here he’s happy and today he had very good energy. We’re going to decide if he will play from the beginning or the bench but I am very optimistic because he showed very good energy in the training session.

Any news on signings or departures like Vincent Janssen?

You know how we work. In the last minute everything can happen. Of course different players maybe will have the opportunity to leave the club. We’re going to see. Of course there’s not too much time. A few days ago I was very optimistic about some options to sign – realistic options to sign - but today no, I’m not optimistic.

You need to start investing in players if you're going to be a big club?

Yes but all in the right time. The club decide to sign or not for different reasons, I think it was better for club to keep our players. I understand everything and I understand a lot of opinions about Pochettino. The most important thing is we decide as a club, every single decision is about the club, we share all the decisions, it is not me that I have £100m to spend or I want to sign or I don’t want to sign, the decision is about about working with the club, with the resources we have, thinking that my view must be different to the chief scout or the chairman but at the same time I need to take best decision for the club, for our fans, watching the big picture, not only today and tomorrow. That is my responsibility as a manager. If we don't sign it is not because I don't want to sign it’s because we are not capable to find player that will help us.

So it's not a lack of money?

I don't know .. it’s an easy answer, because Tottenham we have plenty of opportunity to sign, for different reasons it is difficult to explain to you that we can’t sign, not because we don't want.

How patient are you to win trophies?

I love my job, I love my job. And of course I love a big challenge. When I arrived at Tottenham I knew very well the challenge will be tough and what happen now will happen now. We are victims of our own success, the club was in a different level and now we put the board, the players, all we feel the same. No one believe in us, no one believe in way we operate from beginning will bring success to club. Of course if the club play once in 22 years in the Champions League and now after four years we play three times in row, that was the dream of our fans, our staff and players to play in Champions League. I feel same as our fans, never is enough. But we are working hard. It’s so difficult to grow in same line as this, sometimes you push high then you stay same, or you drop a little bit to go forward again, but that is the process. When you lose everything it starts to be negative, look how thin the line was to win on penalties, today we are maybe talking about the final and another day if Georges-Kevin or Trippier scores the penalty we are talking about the character of the team and we may still be in the FA Cup. But we are out and we are at a point where maybe the environment is negative but I am more positive than before the start of last week.

Is the worry that you're pointing to something in the future but you are never actually going to get there?

Time, time, time, wait, wait, wait, we need to finish our stadium. We need to arrive the day, that will be the day that it clicks, the day we sign a player and the player says, 'I am signing for Tottenham because I want to win titles', that is going to be the day the club is in the last level. If you listen to me in the last four and a half years we are always helping the club to finish the stadium, to finish the training ground, to help the club on the financial side, to be in the top four four and a half years ago was a dream, to be consistent in top four, to play in Champions League and have the capacity to show Europe and the world Tottenham is alive and there.

When we arrive at new stadium we will be one of the most exciting clubs. If you sign for Tottenham and your introduction is going to be in this amazing stadium, you are going to say , 'I want to come here because I want to win titles'. In the last few years it was about to try and fight again, the Wembley hoodoo. Remember the last season at White Hart Lane when we had no corner, in that season we were unbeaten. This season we play Champions League at Wembley, it was difficult to win, we were out in the first stage and there was a Wembley hoodoo.

When you go back, I promise you we are a very successful group of people working for a company doing the job they need us to be doing. What can I say against the players because we lose on penalties to Chelsea. Why, for me they are heroes. Because we lose after three days when Crystal Palace had the whole week clear. Tomorrow we are going to play a team that played Saturday, we played Sunday. Then we are going play Saturday, and then we are going to play Sunday and Wednesday we are going to play against Borussia Dortmund. I am not going to complain, I am going to translate the reality, the fans want the reality. Then other people want to give their opinion from outside. I am a very positive person and I am going to try and deliver in my job. I am going to stick with the club until the end to help the club achieve all they want.

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