Hugo Lloris labels Tottenham’s Europa League humiliation a ‘disgrace’ as captain suggests deep-rooted problems within the club

Hugo Lloris branded Tottenham's European exit a 'disgrace' and suggested there are huge problems within the club.

The Spurs captain delivered a damning verdict on his team's performance against Dinamo Zagreb after the unfancied Croatian side overturned a 2-0 first leg deficit to knock Spurs out of the Europa League.

2

Jose Mourinho accused his players of lacking professionalism following the match, having also done the same after Sunday's north London derby defeat to Arsenal.

Lloris was in an equally despondent mood and said the players need to take full responsibility for their capitulation.

The French World Cup winner claimed their latest setback was a consequence of a lack of togetherness in the squad and not respecting the badge.

"I think we are all more than disappointed," he said in an explosive interview with BT Sport. "It is just a disgrace. I just hope everyone in the changing room feels responsible for this situation because it's a disgrace.

"It's just an accumulation. We are a club that's full of ambition but the team at the moment I just think is a reflection of what's going on in our club.

"We have a lack of basics, lack of fundamentals. Overall our performance is in relation to that. I think mentally we should be stronger, we should be more competitive.

"The way we play is just not enough. Not enough. One thing is to come in front of the camera and say I'm ambitious, the other is to show every day - in training sessions, it's to show every time on the pitch - you cannot let it down if you play or don't play.

CHELTENHAM BETTING SPECIAL: BEST OFFERS AND FREE BETS FOR THE 2021 FESTIVAL

2

"To behave as a team is the most difficult thing in football. Whatever is the decision of the manager you have to follow the way of the team.

"If you follow the team only when you're in the starting XI that causes a big problem for the team because you're going to pay, in the one moment and you're going to pay in your season.

"Today I think is the consequence of that. We had a great moment in the past because we could trust the togetherness that was in the team. Today, I don't know, I'm not sure about that.

"I think if you look at all the experience we have got as a player individually as a player in the dressing room, we have all got that," he said.

"From one leg to another anything can turn if you believe and make the perfect game. What is more painful is the feeling that we came here without the desire to kill the game. When you are a competitor you cannot behave in that way.

"When we started to realise it was too late. The confidence was back in the Zagreb team and then the game became even harder.

"This is the story of the game and it is done and we cannot change unfortunately. It is a disgrace from us and we can only feel sorry for the fans because every year they are full of hope.

"To win this competition would mean a lot but now we have to be back on our basics in a routine and fight again in the league to get back in this competition next season."

Manager Mourinho, meanwhile, felt his players lacked professionalism and questioned their attitude.

He said: "Of course it concerns me. Of course it concerns me. We worked very hard, we tried to provide the best conditions for the players to perform. Of course it concerns me.

"My position as a head coach is the position that stops me, or at least makes me uncomfortable to come in front of the cameras and go deep in analysis. I hope you can understand that.

"I believe all of us have to be humble enough to accept any criticism that you can make of our work. It is not for me to go on that.

"They played with a lot of desire that I can call it also professionalism, because for me professionalism starts exactly in the attitude. To be a professional you must have attitude every day and in every minute of every game.

"Then more talent, less talent makes a difference between players but what is never negotiable is attitude and they beat us on attitude."