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Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou has fired back at Arsene Wenger after the former Arsenal manager claimed the Europa League winner should not be guaranteed a spot in the Champions League.
Spurs have one foot in the final of the Europa League ahead of their semi-final second leg against Bodo/Glimt, having secured a 3-1 win last week.
The north London club’s European run comes amid a torrid domestic campaign which sees them currently sit 16th in the Premier League table.
In 2014, UEFA adjusted its competition rules to grant the Europa League winner automatic qualification for the following season’s Champions League.
However, Wenger, who is now FIFA’s head of global football development, believes it’s something UEFA will have ‘to think about and to review’, with Manchester United also within a chance of benefiting.
Postecoglou believes people are trying to ‘diminish’ his club at every opportunity.
Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou has fired back at former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger
Wenger claimed Europa League winners should not be guaranteed a spot in the Champions League
Tottenham will return to Europe’s elite competition next season if they lift the Europa League
‘Well, I mean that’s a debate that’s been raging for years, like at least the last eight days,’ he said.
‘I’ve never heard that before, so… I’ve said it before, mate, Spurs does crazy things to people. It does, it does.
‘You put that club into any sentence or any issue, and invariably they all come out and try and diminish as much as they can.
‘Why wasn’t there an issue before and it’s an issue now? What’s the difference? I don’t understand what the difference is.
‘Last year, fifth didn’t get you into the Champions League, this year it does. What does that mean?
‘There are competition rules and the rules say that the winner goes into [the Champions League]. It’s not the first year, and there isn’t an asterisk against it that you have to do something else as well. But it’s Spurs mate, they love it. They love it. Oh, they love it, you love it, don’t you?’
When reminded that Wenger once managed Spurs’ fierce north London rivals, Postecoglou responded: ‘I don’t want to go down that road because I’ve got a great respect for Arsene.
‘He’s one of the legends of the game, but it does crazy things to people, mate, I love it. I love it, bring it on. it’s going to upset people, so that makes me happy.’
Tottenham’s European run comes amid a torrid domestic campaign in the Premier League
Speaking to beIN SPORTS, Wenger claimed the winners of the Europa League should be rewarded with a return to the competition.
The former Arsenal boss said: ‘No – they should qualify automatically for the Europa League again but not necessarily for the Champions League.
‘Especially when you’re in the Premier League, where already five teams qualify.
‘I think it’s something [for UEFA] to think about and to review. On the other hand, people will tell you that to keep the Europa League focused, interesting and motivated you need to give them that prize [of qualifying for the Champions League].’
Meanwhile, Tottenham are set to be without midfielder James Maddison for the trip to Bodo/Glimt after he suffered a season ending knee injury.
Captain Son Heung-min has missed the last four games with a foot injury. Son has been training alone and is a doubt for the trip to Norway.
Dominic Solanke, also forced off against Bodo/Glimt, missed the draw at West Ham but is confident of being fit for Thursday.
