"Sony has been suffering from foot problems for the past few weeks."
The second leg of the quarterfinals against the Europa League and Frankfurt, which will determine the fate of Tottenham and coach Angie Postecoglou this season, will be held at 4 a.m. on the 18th (Korea time). In the first round of the home game on the 11th, it was tied 1-1 after a rough match. The team that wins the second game will go to the semifinals, go to the finals, and continue the opportunity to win. Tottenham faced another bad news in the worst atmosphere ahead of Tottenham and Postecoglou's only East line, the only hope of winning, and the second leg of the Europa League quarterfinals, the most important game of the season, after losing 2-4 away to Wolverhampton at the weekend and falling to 15th place in the league. Shocking news was also officially delivered to domestic fans through the coach's mouth.
Coach Postecoglou officially confirmed Son's absence at a pre-match press conference held at Deutsche Bank Park in Frankfurt, Germany on the 17th (Korea time). Missed two games in a row following Wolverhampton. The reason is a foot injury. Asked about captain Son Heung-min's condition, Postecoglou said, `Sony couldn't come in the end. Only Sony is missing. He's been struggling with foot problems for weeks and has endured well, but he's been in so much pain the last few days. I was going to train yesterday, but my condition wasn't good, so I decided to let him rest at home to find the best way to recover", he explained. "All the other players are fine," he added. Asked what would be the hit if Son Heung-min, the team's captain, were to miss the most important game of the season, Postecoglou replied "There is a hit, but like everything else that has happened this year, it is another challenge that we have to overcome." "It's a pity for him and he tried really hard. The reason we left him out for the weekend game was to give him time to recover because he had been struggling with a foot problem for weeks, but he couldn't. We've been going through these difficulties all year, and it's just a problem to overcome again this time."
Asked if he had any hope of keeping the season alive tomorrow night, he said "I think it's an opportunity to do something special rather than save the season, but it depends on how you view life." "I took the opportunity to advance to the semi-finals of the major tournament. Obviously I know the challenge ahead of you and that's what you expect and get excited about. No matter how good a season you are having, I think you have to catch it because I know these opportunities don't come often. He also sent such a message to the players. Regardless of everything else that's happened this year, we have one game left in the semi-finals of a major tournament, and it's not something that happened to our club often, so it shouldn't be taken for granted. We will try to take advantage of this opportunity.'
Amid sluggish performance in the league and rumors of a replacement ahead of his last chance in the Europa League, Postecoglou asked questions about what will happen in the future and his future, "Do I know that? I don't understand at all." he replied. "There's a game tomorrow night, but I don't need to think about it. I've never thought about that. The important thing is that we have a game tomorrow night, and it's a tremendous opportunity for these players, our team and the football club to get closer to achieving the goals that everyone wants." "Other than that, especially in my case, I don't have many thought processes in which I think about life, my career, or what I do. All I know is that I have a chance to make it to the semifinals of a major tournament and I will only focus on that."
When asked if he was burdened by the various comments surrounding his future, Postecoglou shook his head. "No, not at all. I don't define my career and me based on how people think about me. There has never been, and it will never be. If I don't think I'm a good coach today, I won't think I'm a good coach even if we win tomorrow. It's not going to change to one game. That's exactly what I think. If people think that if we suddenly win tomorrow and I become a better coach than today or if we lose tomorrow and I become a worse coach, it's their burden, not mine." "I don't think so and I don't think most people do either. Or I don't think so in terms of their own self-esteem or human identity. I don't care. It's true. It doesn't matter at all. There is no pressure and no anxiety. I just think I have a good opportunity to advance to the semifinals of a major tournament. No matter what happens the next day, I will not miss this opportunity and fight as best as I can," he said, expressing his will to win.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
