Saturday Dec 14, 2024
Saturday Dec 14, 2024
Friday, 22 November 2019 00:04 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Reuters: Jose Mourinho and Tottenham Hotspur are the ideal match, and the Portuguese boss will breathe new life into the misfiring Premier League club, former striker Dimitar Berbatov said on Wednesday.
The north London club sacked Mauricio Pochettino on Tuesday and replaced him with the former Porto, Chelsea, Inter Milan, Real Madrid and Manchester United manager in a move that has surprised some supporters.
However, former Bulgaria striker Berbatov is convinced Mourinho will provide the spark that can reignite Spurs’ campaign after last season’s Champions League runners-up have fallen to 14th in the Premier League with 14 points.
“This new appointment... will bring new life to the team, it will shake things up and people will wake up a bit and start proving themselves,” Berbatov, who spent two seasons at Spurs scoring 27 league goals, said in an interview with Betfair.
“The Spurs players should be excited because they’re going to play for one of the best managers in the world and it is a great opportunity.
“He’s taking over a great team with great players and he’s in London, the city that he loves, so for me, it’s the perfect match. Spurs is a team that wants to grow, develop and achieve things, and I think it’s a good place for him.”
Mourinho’s proven record of delivering trophies — having claimed 25 major honours in four countries — will be put to the test at Spurs who have not won any silverware since they lifted the League Cup in 2008.
“By appointing him the board were probably thinking ‘wherever he goes he brings trophies’ and Spurs need a trophy,” Berbatov added.
“With his resume and the amount of trophies he’s won in the Champions League, Premier League, and wherever he goes, he has earned the right to take no shit. If you show him respect, he’ll give you respect back, and he deserves that because he has proven himself by winning so much.”
Mourinho’s first league match in charge will be at West Ham United on Saturday.
