Rodrigo Bentancur has now confessed that despite his best efforts to stay calm ahead of the Europa League final, he was overcome by nerves, given how important a game it was for Tottenham.
Everyone associated with Tottenham Hotspur has been in a celebratory mood over the last two weeks after Ange Postecoglou’s men made history by ending the club’s 17-year trophy drought in Bilbao.
Given all the abuse and banter the Spurs fans have been subject to over the last two decades, one can forgive them for basking in the glory of the historic success.
Some Tottenham players were quick to poke fun at the ‘Spursy’ tag after getting their hands on the trophy and their win at Bilbao will put those derogatory remarks to bed, at least temporarily.
Rodrigo Bentancur enjoyed the Europa League win to its fullest
Ange Postecoglou stressed the importance of securing the first trophy to change the mentality of the club, and he has certainly delivered on his promise of winning silverware in his second season.
Not many Tottenham fans would have been overly confident ahead of the final, given the amount of times the club has fallen short in the final stages over the last 17 years.
Bentancur confessed that as much as the Spurs players tried to stay calm in the lead-up to the final, it was tough to do so, given the club’s history and what a trophy meant to everyone associated with the Lilywhites.
The Uruguayan told ESPN Deportes (as translated by Sport Witness): “Those were very nervous and anxious days, but luckily everything went as planned, and here we are, after celebrating with the club after winning a European Championship after so many years.
“Before the final, you unconsciously said you had to stay calm, but it’s tough to stay calm in a moment like that. It was my first European title; it was a return to victory with a club that hadn’t won a cup in a long time. I enjoyed it to the fullest.”
Tottenham have begun work on new Bentancur contract
It has been widely reported over the last month that Spurs are keen to tie Bentancur down to a new contract, with the midfielder now having just one year left on his deal.
A couple of days ago, TBR Football even asserted that Bentancur is viewed as future captain material by Tottenham, which is why the club have already initiated talks over a new deal.
The report claimed that the 27-year-old is willing to commit his future to Spurs but is waiting for a decision on Postecoglou’s future before greenlighting a new contract.
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