Mauricio Pochettino says he has no regrets over his decision to start Tottenham striker Harry Kane in the 2018/19 Champions League Final.
The England captain was struggling with an ankle problem in the weeks building up to the European football showpiece against Premier League rivals Liverpool in Madrid, having suffered the injury in the quarter-final, first-leg win over Manchester City.
Kane did not play at all in the nearly two months between those fixtures, though remained with the squad and was even said to have delivered a stirring team talk during half-time of the semi-final, second-leg comeback against Ajax.
Like most of the Spurs team that evening, Kane struggled during the anticlimactic 2-0 loss to Liverpool at Atletico’s Wanda Metropolitano amid questions over his fitness and readiness to start such a momentous game.
However, asked in retrospect about the choice to start him during an appearance on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football, former Tottenham boss Pochettino said he would not change his mind if given the opportunity to select the team for that final again.
“The decision is the decision and you can't go back. But for sure, if you put me in the same situation again, I will take the same decision again,” he said.
"You cannot doubt about Harry Kane. Of course, you can do some changes. But Harry Kane was our main striker, and the best player in Tottenham, if not in England or Europe. Then when he's fit to play you cannot have doubts.
"Then it was the long process of Harry Kane. It's a process that started maybe four, five years ago, with a dream to play and to fight and to battle for big things. To be real contenders, not only to try to win a League Cup, or FA Cup.
"They are important too but in the way we built the squad, it was really difficult to fight for four competitions in a season. You have to take decisions.
"But it was our dream to try to be one day in this final of the Champions League or be real contenders in the Premier League.
"And, of course, a player that helps you… and there was no doubt, we really believed that was the best team to play and to perform and win the game. I would take that decision again."
