The star who was surprisingly left out of Tottenham’s Champions League squad for the league phase has broken his silence on the decision.
Squads were submitted to UEFA on Tuesday with Mathys Tel, a £30million summer signing from Bayern Munich after a loan spell last season, did not make the cut.
Thomas Frank knew there was a difficult decision to make after signing Xavi Simons and Randal Kolo Muani in the final days of the transfer window. Both were named for the league phase of the competition which starts with a home tie against Villarreal on Tuesday week.
There were consequences however because Tottenham are three short of UEFA’s four-man quota for club-trained players, which effectively means they must submit a squad of 22 not 25.
Players such as Lucas Bergvall, Wilson Odobert and Takai, who all qualify for the Premier League as Under-21 players, do not meet the stringent UEFA criteria and so must be part of the senior squad. Frank has left out all his injured players.
And Tel was the senior name who missed out, alongside Dejan Kulusevski, Radu Dragusin, Yves Bissouma, Kota Takai and James Maddison. The forward, meanwhile, has now spoken out.
Mathys Tel has broken his silence on being left out of Tottenham’s Champions League squad
Thomas Frank had a decision to make after signing Xavi Simons and Randal Kolo Muani
‘When you’re not on the list, of course it hurts,’ Tel told Le Telegramme. ‘But I stay positive whatever the situation.
‘I’ve worked a lot on the mental side. It’s a disappointment, I would have liked to be there, but it’s the coach’s choice and you can only respect it and work to respond in the best way on the pitch.’
Tel has arguably struggled to reach the heights that had been expected of him since his January move, having also been sought out by Manchester United in the winter window.
The 20-year-old has so far played 23 times for Tottenham, scoring three goals and providing a further two assists.
He has plenty of competition for his spot, with the likes of Dominic Solanke, Richarlison and Randal Kolo Muani capable of playing through the middle and stars such as Brennan Johnson, Wilson Odobert and a number of others favouring the left side – Tel’s two best positions.
‘I have learned that no matter what the situation, you have to be patient,’ he added. ‘Sometimes there are things you deserve, but you don’t get them in return.
‘So I have gained maturity and experience, and I think that today it has shaped my personality and character.’
