Europa League: Tottenham ‘disgrace’ leaves Mourinho in firing line

Mourinho Tottenham were branded “a disgrace” by captain Hugo Lloris after an embarrassing Europa League exit to Dinamo Zagreb left manager Jose Mourinho fighting to keep his job. Spurs travelled to the Croatian capital holding a 2-0 first-leg lead and Mourinho showed no signs of complacency with his team selection, with Lloris and Harry Kane named in a strong line-up.

But two goals from Mislav Orsic forced the game into extra-time before the Croatian international completed a brilliant hat-trick to complete a miserable night for Mourinho’s men. In a stinging post-match interview, Lloris, who is in his ninth season at Tottenham, criticised not just the performance but the underlying culture at the club.

“It is just a disgrace,” said the French World Cup winner. “I just hope everyone in the training room feels responsible for the situation because it’s a disgrace. “Obviously we are a club full of ambition, but I just think the team at the moment is just a (reflection) of what’s going on in the club.

“We have lack of basics, lack of fundamentals, and all our performances are just in relation of that.” Mourinho was just as scathing of his players for failing to match the desire of a Dinamo team that had been rocked earlier this week by the resignation of manager Zoran Mamic.

Mamic was sentenced to jail over a multi-million euro fraud involving player transfers, including Luka Modric’s move to Tottenham in 2012. “To say I am sad is not enough. What I feel goes much further than sadness,” said Mourinho.

“To be a professional you must have attitude every day and in every minute of every game. “Then more talent, less talent makes a difference between players but what is never negotiable is attitude and they beat us on attitude.” – Europa glory – Mourinho had previously bragged about his Europa League record, having won the competition on both his previous tries as manager of Porto and Manchester United.

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