Tottenham will play European matches at Wembley: Pochettino

Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino has said that his side will continue playing European matches at the Wembley Stadium this season if they drop down to the Europa League.

After getting eliminated from the Champions League on Tuesday, Spurs, who lost 2-1 at Monaco, will qualify for the Europa League if they avoid defeat against CSKA Moscow at Wembley on December 7.

After losing both their Champions League group matches at the national stadium, there were suggestions that Tottenham would return to their homeground at White Hart Lane if they dropped into the Europa League, with midfielder Moussa Sissoko suggesting it would benefit the team to do so.

"The players need to focus on playing. We will play the Europa League in Wembley and we need to make it out home.

"Next season we need to play 19 games and European competition (at Wembley). We need to make it our home," Pochettino was quoted as saying by the Telegraph on Thursday.

"For me it's a big motivation (to put it right). You always want to move forward not stop and complain or blame. Only you can stop to analyse and be calm to assess the team.

"I am looking forward to trying to get more possibilities to play in Wembley and the team can start to feel like home," he added.

"The new stadium is coming - we need to move to Wembley next season and we cannot complain next season. We need to start to avoid all the negative things," Pochettino said of his team's dismal showing in the Champions League.

--IANS

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