Spurs in the knockout stage, revealing a little more
than expected following the last 32 draw
Gent managing director Michel Louwagie had a bizarre
reaction to being drawn against Tottenham in the
Europa League Round of 32, claiming it was the club's
'wet dream'.
After finishing second in Group H ahead of Portuguese
side Braga, Louwagie was anxious ahead of the draw
for the knockout stage. The Gent director hoped his
side would get a glamorous tie, and was not
disappointed when they were drawn against the
Premeir League club.
However, his reaction to drawing Spurs left little to the
imagination! "We feared we would draw a Turkish
opponent," Louwagie told Sporza. "It was the wet
dream of mine and the president to get either Roma or
Tottenham.
"This is like a Champions League game. We will play at
Wembley, which is fantastic. Every game in that
stadium is an epic. Now we can play there, and that is
something you want to experience once in your
career."
Having only won the Belgian league title once,
Louwagie knows that Gent are not at the same level as
Tottenham or many of Europe's other big clubs. Despite
that, he is looking forward to the challenge of Gent
proving themselves against Mauricio Pochettino's side.
"We have not been one of the top clubs for long, so this
is all relatively new for us. We are extra excited," the
60-year-old admitted.
"The coach always wants a challenge. Last year he was
disappointed we did not get an English club. Tottenham
are obviously stronger [than Gent], but Gent has also
put in performances in Europe that nobody expected.
"Who knows, maybe they will underestimate
us? Tottenham is a big name, and we will go there with
a lot of respect."
0 Comments