Joao Palhinha reveals what happened with fan confrontation after Tottenham defeat

There was a moment of unrest between some Tottenham Hotspur players and the visiting supporters following their 3-2 defeat to Bournemouth, and Joao Palhinha has explained why this incident occurred.

There was a toxic atmosphere around Tottenham Hotspur last season due to unacceptable results in the Premier League. However, the Europa League triumph last May meant that the campaign ended on an unlikely positive note.

Despite this, the level of unrest between the team and their supporters is well and truly back, with Thomas Frank receiving boos after each of their past few matches.

Wednesday was one of the worst instances of this toxicity yet, with Micky van de Ven seen in a heated exchange with a Spurs fan after the full-time whistle. Joao Palhinha and Pedro Porro also appeared to have words with a specific individual in the travelling support.

Joao Palhinha plays down clash with the Tottenham fans

Although van de Ven in particular appeared to be angry with someone in the away section, Palhinha has insisted the incident is not a big deal.

The goalscorer of an overhead kick has sought to bring unity between the players and supporters by insisting they both want the same thing.

He told Sun Sport: “It was just the supporters [who] were sharing their frustrations. We, of course, understand, we respect them first of all. I just said we are fighting for all the same.

“We want to win, not just the players, the staff and the supporters. We are trying to get the wins that, in my opinion, we deserve in the last games.”

Palhinha was unlucky to be on the losing team against Bournemouth

While Spurs fans might not agree with Palhinha that Tottenham deserved victories in their recent matches, the Portuguese star does deserve some sympathy.

It was Palhinha who drew Spurs level after 78 minutes, and he did so in style with a beautiful overhead kick. However, he was ultimately let down by his team, who failed to hold onto the draw.

READ MORE – Thomas Frank defends ‘good’ Tottenham performance after 3-2 defeat to struggling Bournemouth