Mauricio Pochettino has faced an embarrassment as Real Madrid hit back before the Champions League final.
Real Madrid have made a strong denial of Mauricio Pochettino’s comments that his side was denied permission to stay at the Los Blancos training set up.
Spurs will use the Valdebebas training complex next week ahead of the final against Liverpool, which takes place at Atletico’s Wanda Metropolitano stadium in the Spanish capital.
Pochettino claimed on Spanish radio station Cadena Ser on Thursday that Madrid president Florentino Perez had rejected a request from Spurs to sleep on their Valdebebas training ground.
Speaking to El Partidazo de Cope this week, Pochettino said: “Ahead of the final, we will train at Valdebebas and sleep in a nearby hotel.
“I asked Florentino to let us sleep in the sports centre, but he told me that I can only sleep there when I become the coach of Real Madrid.”
That outburst triggered a statement from Real Madrid, who have clearly denied that statement.
A statement read: “Real Madrid CF is surprised by the comments made by the coach of Tottenham Hotspur, Mauricio Pochettino, about a supposed request made to our club so that his team could stay in the residence of the Real Madrid City on the occasion of the final of the Champions League.
“Real Madrid CF wants to make it clear that it is outright false that this request was made. Our club has always shown its absolute availability to meet all the requests made by Uefa, the Royal Spanish Football Federation, Club Atlético de Madrid, Liverpool FC and Tottenham Hotspur.
“All requests submitted to Real Madrid have referred only and exclusively to the use of the training camps of the Ciudad Real Madrid and its changing rooms. And all of them have been granted by our club.
“Thus, Liverpool plans to train in our facilities on Saturday, June 1 in the morning. Tottenham, for its part, will do so on Thursday, May 30 and Friday, May 31.
“Real Madrid CF also wants to emphasize that the accommodation of the finalist teams of the Champions League are assigned by UEFA following criteria of organization and security. And that at no time has our club been requested that these teams could be accommodated in the facilities of Ciudad Real Madrid.”
Here’s how Twitter reacted..
What’s next?
Tottenham Hotspur will take on Liverpool in the Champions League final at Wanda Metropolitano on June 1.
