Sissoko: Spurs deserve to win some titles

In the last five seasons, Tottenham Hotspur have reached the Champions League and League Cup finals, finished second in the English Premier League and made two FA Cup semi-finals, regularly playing some eye-catching football along the way.

After being the EPL’s resident bridesmaids, Moussa Sissoko believes the north London team “deserve to win some titles”.

Speaking at the sidelines of an AIA sponsor's event at the Singapore Sports Hub's OCBC Square, the French midfielder said: “When you play for Tottenham, you have to be ambitious, you have to think about winning some titles (and) I think the squad deserve it.

“But to talk is easy. The most important thing is to show it on the pitch... We will try our best to play well every game. What we want is to finish top of the table...

“Last year, we know what we did not do well... we weren’t consistent compared to (Manchester) City and Liverpool.

“That is what we will try to do this year but, before that, you have to prepare (well) in pre-season.”

Spurs will kick off their pre-season campaign against Juventus in the International Champions Cup at the National Stadium on Sunday (July 21).

They could have come to town as European champions but their remarkable run to the Champions League final was denied a fairy tale after a second-minute handball in the showpiece gave them a mountain to climb.

With Spurs looking the better team as they chased an equaliser, the Reds struck again late in the match to triumph 2-0.

But much of the post-match discussion centred around the early penalty, which was awarded after a video assistant referee (VAR) review.

The decision was given after the ball struck Sissoko’s arm while he was pointing at an area of the pitch he wanted his teammates to cover.

Recently, when discussing VAR’s implementation in the EPL next season, referees’ chief Mike Riley said that incident would not have been given as a hand ball in the English top flight.

When asked how he felt hearing that, Sissoko said: “I feel normal. I know, for me, it wasn’t a penalty in the final, but that’s done so now, we must look forward. 

“Now the new season is coming and we have to be ready for that because the VAR will be in (effect) during the season, so hopefully it can help everyone.”