Former Tottenham captain Hugo Lloris has shed light on why the club struggled to secure a trophy during his tenure in north London, despite fielding a talented squad under managers like Mauricio Pochettino.
Spurs, who last won the League Cup in 2008, have endured a trophy drought despite reaching the 2019 Champions League final under Pochettino and making several competitive runs in the Premier League.
Lloris, who was part of Pochettino’s side during their successful yet trophy-less period, believes that the team was just a few top-level players away from clinching silverware.
“Under Pochettino, you could see the progression year after year, and we were very competitive,” Lloris told The Athletic. “We were close to winning. I think at the time, we missed two or three more players to compete for success and for him to win trophies.”
The French goalkeeper emphasized that the club’s focus on building the new stadium limited their financial flexibility, hindering their ability to add key players to the squad.
“Our progression was too fast for the club because, at that time, they were focused on the new stadium,” Lloris explained. “They did not have the financial reserve as they do now. At that time, we needed to add a few players and regenerate that group of players.”
Additionally, Spurs’ move to the Tottenham Stadium, preceded by almost two seasons at Wembley, also disrupted their momentum and contributed to their trophy drought, according to Lloris.
“When I felt we were most capable of winning a trophy, we had to move to Wembley,” he said. “The year before at White Hart Lane, we finished unbeaten. We won 17 games and drew two; it was a big record. At that time, we thought if we stayed at White Hart Lane, we could match the same tally of points, but we moved to Wembley — a different environment and stadium.”
Despite the challenges, Lloris remains optimistic about Tottenham’s prospects under current manager Ange Postecoglou and hopes to see the club end their trophy drought in the near future.
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