Former Tottenham captain Hugo Lloris has spoken about a major regret he had from his 12-year spell at the North London club.
It was Mauricio Pochettino who handed the captain’s armband to Lloris, and Argentina’s era in North London continues to be viewed with a lot of affection by Tottenham fans.
That is not only because of how good a team Pochettino built and the style of football he instilled, but also because of the spirit the players showed on the pitch.
That Spurs side came very close to creating history, competing for the Premier League title on multiple occasions and coming one step away from winning the Champions League in 2019.
Hugo Lloris says Tottenham grew too fast under Mauricio Pochettino
Lloris has now suggested that the project under the Argentine moved much faster than anyone at the club was expecting.
The former Tottenham captain remarked that the Lilywhites were still focused financially on building a new stadium when they stumbled upon a near title-winning side.
Speaking to Rio Ferdinand Presents YouTube channel, Lloris said: “I was part of the evolution of the club when I witnessed the big change. When I arrived and when I left, the club was at a different level. Not only with the stadium and the training facilities, which are probably one of the best in the world.
“But also on the field. The only problem, we could not transfer this on the pitch by winning trophies. We had four or five very good years, especially under Pochettino.
“But we were at some point really close to the trophy, but also really far. It’s hard to explain. I think at that time, the club was, especially financially, they were focused on the new stadium. And I think the team was growing too fast.”
Lloris admits Spurs missed an opportunity to create history
The 39-year-old admitted that Tottenham needed to invest considerably into their squad at the right moment to go to the next level and get over the line.
He suggested that the club missed an opportunity to do so and have subsequently never been able to reach the same level again.
Lloris added: “When Pochettino arrived, after two years we were already in the top four. And then after three years, we were out of the group stage of the Champions League, finishing above Real Madrid and Dortmund. But we managed to go to the Champions League final. Yes, it was the moment to invest. And it was the moment probably to refresh also this group of players, because we spent four or five years together building something special without really spending on the market.
“So we had a really good starting eleven. We played attractive football, but probably we had a lack of depth on the bench and in the squad. And we had to deal with the Chelsea of Abramovich, the Liverpool of Jürgen Klopp, the Manchester City of Pep Guardiola. So it’s about details at this level.
“I think we missed, probably as a club, an opportunity. But it was probably easier to change the coach than to change four or five players to refresh. But then we alternated up and down, and I think we never came back to that level, especially in terms of consistency in results.”