Real Madrid has slammed Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettinho who recently claimed that his team were not allowed to stay in Real’s team hotel.
Tottenham will be facing Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League final next weekend at Atletico Madrid’s Wanda Metropolitano Stadium.
Though Tottenham have been granted permission to use Real Madrid ’s Valdebebas training complex next week, Pochettino joked that they would not be staying in the adjoining hotel.
Pochettino told Spanish outlet El Partidazo de Cope:
“Ahead of the final, we will train at Valdebebas and sleep in a nearby hotel.
“I asked Florentino [Perez, President of Real Madrid] 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.”
The words which were said in jest were however taken serious by Real Madrid who issued the below statement in reaction.
“Real Madrid CF is surprised by the demonstrations 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 produced.
“Our club has always shown its absolute availability to meet all the requests made by UEFA, the Royal Spanish Football Federation, Club Atletico 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 emphasise that the accommodation of the finalist teams of the Champions League are assigned by UEFA following criteria of organisation 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.”