Jose Mourinho insists Tottenham will focus on their game and have no reason to be afraid of any side in the Europa League.
Mourinho says Tottenham are ready to take on any side but admits it will be nice if they can avoid one of the ‘top’ teams.
Spurs play their final Europa League game against Belgian side Antwerp on Thursday night.
The North London side have already qualified for the round but they still face a battle for first-place.
Antwerp are currently top with 12 points, two ahead of second-place Tottenham, and Mourinho knows only a victory can see them top the group.
In the event that they don’t top their group, the Portuguese boss doesn’t think it would affect his side’s chances.
“We did our job to qualify in the first five matches and now in one game at home, with 2,000 fans behind us, we have the chance to play one game to try to win the group,” said Mourinho as quoted by Evening Standard.
“Is that fundamental? I don’t think it is. I don’t think we should be afraid of playing any team in the next phase, but of course normally the teams that win the groups are the best teams so if you can avoid them in the next draw I think it will be an advantage?”
Tottenham now face the prospect of playing sides like Manchester United if they finish second. Mourinho thinks it is unfair his former side have been given a ‘second chance’.
“It’s a point of principle, and if it happened to my team, I would feel exactly the same,” said Mourinho, who has named United as one of the favourites for the Europa League now they have dropped down.
Mourinho continued: “It is the way it is and honestly it brings more quality to the competition. We cannot forget that, when you have eight new teams in the competition and eight teams that belong to another level, and they drop to the Europa League of course the level of the competition is going to improve.
“No doubt the quality improves, the intensity improves and it’s a good thing for the competition. But from the sports point of view is when I think it’s not fair that a team that doesn’t succeed in one competition drops to another.
“Is that fundamental? I don’t think it is. I don’t think we should be afraid of playing any team in the next phase, but of course normally the teams that win the groups are the best teams so if you can avoid them in the next draw I think it will be an advantage?”
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