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Earning Champions League qualification is “pointless” if Tottenham do not then “grow”, says manager Ange Postecoglou.
Spurs are fifth in the Premier League, five points behind fourth-placed Aston Villa with a game in hand, and visit Villa Park on Sunday.
Even if his side claim a top-four finish, Postecoglou does not see that as achieving success in itself.
“It’s not a Willy Wonka golden ticket – it just gets you a year [in the competition],” he said.
“But if you don’t grow from that, then it’s pointless,” added the Australian. “We’re not going to be in it for participation, we’re in it to win things.”
Since losing to Liverpool in the 2019 Champions League final, Spurs have played in the competition just twice and each time failed to get past the round of 16.
Finishing fifth this season may be enough to secure a place in next season’s Champions League, but Postecoglou says he is not considering the permutations during the run-in.
The 58-year-old said: “I don’t see the sense in trying to aim for something other than number one. What’s the point?
“I’m not built to build for anything other than the top. If I fall short, then that’s on me, but I’m not going to create a scenario where I’m happy with anything other than the best.”
Postecoglou added that, in his first season since being named Antonio Conte’s successor last summer, it is more important Spurs “lay foundations to win things”, so “that we can challenge next year”.
Since 2018-19, Tottenham have finished in the top four just once – in 2021-22 – and reached one final, losing to Manchester City in the 2021 EFL Cup final.
