Tottenham Hotspur face a final day clash against Crystal Palace this weekend as they look to finish a disappointing 2019/20 campaign on somewhat of a high.
The North London club can still qualify for the Europa League next season in order to push for a European trophy and a route back into the Champions League. However, they will have to rely on results elsewhere going their way.
A win for Tottenham could take them up into sixth in the table, which would bring with it automatic Europa qualification, although they will rely on Wolves dropping points against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
If the Lilywhites fail to overtake Wolves on Sunday, they will finish in seventh, which could still bring a place in the Europa League next season. However, this will only be granted if Arsenal lose the FA Cup final to Chelsea.
While he remained adamant that he would rather play in the Europa League next season, Mourinho did admit today that missing out comes with advantages.
He said (Football London): “I prefer Europe. I prefer to play Europa League than not to do it. It’s an advantage not to play, it is, because you have one match per week, you prepare every match, you have less injuries, you have less fatigue, you don’t travel the same, no accumulation, no mental fatigue, has lots of advantages. But I prefer the team to compete in Europa League.
“Even not being the top European competition, is a European competition, and I prefer to do it. It is a competition where the level drops, especially on the group phase before the teams that come from the Champions League. Is also a competition where you can perfectly give a chance and work the evolution of the younger players. So of course I would prefer to play Europa League.
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“We have a couple of possibilities of playing Europe next season but we’re in the hands of others, so to finish sixth we need to win and we need Wolves not to win. To finish seventh and qualify for Europe we need arsenal not to win the FA Cup. So we have options to be there but we depend on other results.
“The only feeling that I can have is that we can beat Palace and add three more points to our total. And then I don’t know. Finish sixth, finish seventh, Arsenal wins, Arsenal loses, I don’t know. Me and my players have only to focus n a good run, keep the performance, focus on the match, play really serious, big game for us but I don’t know.”
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