Rodrigo Bentancur, the 27-year-old midfielder for Tottenham Hotspur, has expressed his determination to win the Europa League, especially in light of the challenges the team has faced this season. Bentancur has already racked up more than 400 senior appearances for club and country. He knows what it’s going to take to have Intimidator compete at a high level. He underlined that focus would be on succeeding in the upcoming semi-final match against Bodo/Glimt. For the team, and most especially for the fans, this game is the largest game of the season.
Tottenham’s preparations for this pivotal match have been overshadowed. Bentancur echoed that the team set their goals from the beginning of the year. Winning that competition was one of those goals, but he avoided making any early claims about their prospects of success. He never lost focus on the prize that was needed. He admitted to the issues that have plagued the club all season long.
A Season of Struggles
Even as they dream, Bentancur acknowledged it hasn’t been a great season for Tottenham. Injuries to key players have taken a spiritual toll on the squad — a shaken team cannot find any rhythm on the field. Bentancur noted the heavy impact these hardships have had, stating,
“Those players did very well, but that’s one of the big reasons it has been a difficult season. It doesn’t feel good because it makes you think that, individually, you’re not giving your best level for the team. But the situations with injuries have influenced a lot of things.”
He acknowledged that the team’s objectives have shifted depending on where they are at. Now that the Europa League group stage is still in play, manager Ange Postecoglou has prioritized that over the Premier League.
“Our objectives have changed now. With the Europa League to play for, the manager has decided to make a lot of changes for the Premier League games,” Bentancur explained.
Off the pitch, the midfielder admitted that things needed to change going forward. And this, in fact, is what he said to be one of the top teams at that level, we need to be competing in every competition. We have to approach every single one of them with our absolute A-game.
Focus on Bodo/Glimt
Ahead of Thursday’s return semi-final second leg against Bodo/Glimt Bentancur tells you to appreciate the stakes of this match. It’s not just important to our team, it’s important to our fans, too. That tsunami of a Norwegian team has proven near-impossible to beat at home! Plus, they’ve won six of seven of their Europa League matches this season.
I have to say Thursday has become our biggest game of the season. We have earned a place in the final, as a team and for our supporters,” he vowed. All I can say is we’ll move heaven and earth to make it happen!
His confidence derives, in part, from his own recent form, which he labelled the best of his career. He mentioned that his experience from winning silverware 17 years ago when Tottenham last claimed a trophy would be invaluable in this pivotal match.
“It’s going to be a new experience on an artificial pitch, but the manager is calm and we have created a bubble, being united, happy and content and approaching the game in the best possible way,” he noted.
Leadership and Team Dynamics
Bentancur put in a strong performance to highlight his importance to the team. He described how he has thrived making the transition to play in a role close-tied to that of James Maddison, who is out with injury right now.
“We have players who can play the same role as Lucas, like Bissou [Yves Bissouma] did when he played alongside me in the first leg,” he revealed.
It was obvious to me that he has a deep understanding of team dynamics. He noted that Dejan Kulusevski has brought something similar. It goes without saying that Bentancur’s temperament and propensity to lead those younger than him by example are qualities he appreciates the most.
I hope that’s the biggest thing, more than anything, just sharing my experiences with the younger guys. I still experience rage on the field. I’m a pretty mellow dude and gamer, and I do my best to suck the marrow outta everything.
The midfield dynamo knows creating a great environment will be key as they get ready for one of their biggest games ever. He hailed Postecoglou’s leadership approach, suggesting that it has a deep impact on the state of play.
“the manager is a really calm guy, just like me”, Bentancur stated. He’s intentional, and he pushes very hard to reach us, and then pass on his peacefulness to the players. I would argue that we’ve fully adopted his vision and are doing tremendously.
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