Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho has vowed to celebrate a landmark year for both him and chairman Daniel Levy by trying to win a trophy.
Levy celebrates 20 years at the helm of Spurs this week while Mourinho is set to take charge of his 1,000th game as a manager later on this season.
Tottenham have a Carabao Cup final against Manchester City to look forward to in April, while they continue their Europa League quest against Dinamo Zagreb in the first leg of the last 16 on Thursday as they look to end a long trophy drought.
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While Mourinho’s career is heavy on silverware, Levy only has the 2008 League Cup to show for his time in charge of Spurs, though his delivery of the club’s stunning new stadium will surely be the lasting legacy of his reign.
Mourinho says that his boss should not be judged on that one trophy, but hopes he can add another this season.
“I would love to help, it’s not me. I’d love to be part of a work that can deliver a trophy, I would love,” he said.
“I don’t think sometimes it’s fair for an owner, CEO, an administrator of a club, the president to be judged on trophies, because trophies they many, many times depend on others too.
“I think there are many ways to look at working in football and the work that has been done in this club, independent of the trophies that the club didn’t get in the past years, the work is undeniable.
“The club is a big, big club in many aspects, very, very well organised in many aspects and that’s incredible work from him as the big boss in here but from the whole structure that works for him and with him.
“So I don’t think sometimes it’s fair to judge on trophies. But trophies are the salt and pepper of football and I’d love for him, but not just him, also the players, the fans, everyone, I’d love to help, for that to happen.
“I’m not a big guy on stats and this kind of thing, but my 1,000th official match is going to arrive this season too and in a career where I’ve been lucky enough to win so many things, it’d be nice for him to celebrate my 1,000 official matches to celebrate winning a trophy for Tottenham.
“We’re going to try. Let’s see if it’s possible.”
Spurs play the Croatian side at home on Thursday after the legs were reversed to ensure they do not play at home on the same night as Arsenal, who travel to Greece to play Olympiacos.
Gunners boss Mikel Arteta says that gives Tottenham the advantage ahead of this Sunday’s north London derby, but Mourinho hit back, pointing to the week before the reverse fixture in December.
“Well on December 6 we played against Arsenal in our stadium,” Mourinho said.
“On December 3 Arsenal played at home against Rapid Vienna. At the same time we were playing in the ice in Linz against LASK Linz. We landed in London 3am. Was that an advantage to Arsenal?”
Spurs go into the game without Giovani Lo Celso and Joe Rodon.
Lo Celso has suffered a setback in his return to fitness from a hamstring injury with a fresh problem, while Rodon is not registered.
Mourinho said he would make changes, but would still name a strong team.
“Gio is not ready but it’s nothing to do with his previous important injury, from which he’s totally recovered,” Mourinho said.
“But with his accumulation of work his feelings are not the best at the moment, a little bit of some back pain so he’s had to stop working the way he was doing. So not for this match.
“Am I going to repeat the same team that played against Crystal Palace? No, I’m going to make a few changes.
“But the team is working very well, everybody is training hard, everybody is pushing to play, so for me it doesn’t matter who is playing as our team is going to be strong.”
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