Hugo Lloris believes his former club Tottenham Hotspur have lifted a weight off their shoulders after winning the Europa League and praised Ange Postecoglou for ending their 17-year wait for silverware.
The 38-year-old goalkeeper departed Spurs in February 2024 after making 447 appearances across 11 years and is set to start for Los Angeles FC in Monday’s FIFA Club World Cup clash against Chelsea.
Lloris, who previously captained Tottenham, revealed his delight at their 1-0 win over Manchester United in Bilbao last month which ultimately was not enough to convince the Spurs hierarchy to keep Postecoglou after their worst-ever Premier League season was confirmed with a 17th-place finish.
“I am really pleased,” Lloris said of Tottenham’s triumph. “I am really happy for the club, for the people at the club, for the players.
“We ran many, many years after this trophy and finally they got it and I think they deserve it.
“Hopefully it will make their shoulders a little bit lighter for the future and I think it is also the moment to build on this success for Spurs. Even if I am not a Spurs player, I still follow the news, the team and the results.”
Postecoglou was last week replaced by Thomas Frank as head coach and when asked whether the decision surprised him, Lloris said: “No, nothing surprises me in football. But at the same time, it is hard to say something because I am on the other side. I don’t know what happened inside the club so it really hard for me to judge.
“If they made this decision it is because they believe there is another option which is better for the future of the club.
“What Ange Postecoglou did was just remarkable. He brought this Europa League trophy, he brought a lot of joy to the Spurs community, a lot of pride as well and we all have to be thankful for that.
“I am not here to discuss about the choice [of Tottenham’s new head coach]. He is a well-respected coach, He did an amazing job with Brentford. Now, like every coach, when you arrive in a new club, there is a new environment which you have to embrace. But if the club decided to appoint him, it is probably because they decide it is the best for the future.”
Reflecting further on Tottenham’s achievement, Lloris continued: “They had a really hard season. They had a lot of injuries as well that affected the team and performances and I think in the second part of the season, it looks like they decided to go all-in for the Europa League.
“They made it and you just have to congratulate them because it is another way to go to the Champions League. At the end of the day, I don’t know, if you finish 10th, 14th, 15th, 16th and if you get a chance to win a trophy on the other hand, it is just an amazing achievement.
“I was part of a really competitive team for many years and the target was to reach the top four but at which price? We could not find a way to win a cup, a league cup or even a Europa League cup but we managed to go and get the top four for many years. I don’t know, it is all about the optics of the club.”
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