Enfield (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Hugo Lloris has had his share of setbacks over the past 12 months, but he can complete a remarkable year in triumph if he leads Tottenham to glory in the Champions League final in Madrid on Saturday.
Last July, Lloris captained France to the World Cup, but the moment the celebration was preceded, typically for the goalkeeper, by mishap.
With France three goals ahead in the final, Lloris tried to dribble past Mario Mandzukic, failed and gave Croatia a consolation goal.
“During a season one knows there are always highs and lows, one just has to try and be as consistent as possible and be ready to be at your best for the most important moments of the season for the club,” the 32-year-old Frenchman told AFP.
As the English season quickly followed the World Cup, Lloris was arrested for drink driving in London in August and within days suffered an injury that Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino put down to the stress of the brush with the law.
After Lloris returned to the team, he made a string of errors leading to speculation over his future. His misjudgements against Barcelona and PSV Eindhoven in the group stage pushed Tottenham to the edge of Champions League elimination.
At the end of March a fumble in the dying seconds which gifted Liverpool the 2-1 victory that ended Tottenham’s fading Premier League challenge forced Pochettino to defend his ‘keeper.
“I don’t search to be understood by those outside, the most important is to be understood inside the club,” said Lloris, who joined Spurs seven years ago from Lyon.
“It is important to enjoy the confidence of the manager, the staff and my team-mates and it was the case this season.”
Liverpool fans will be hoping they benefit from a goalkeeping error this year with memories painfully fresh of the blunders by the Reds’ stopper Loris Karius in last year’s loss to Real Madrid in the Champions League final.
Yet there have been highs for Lloris too.
He repeatedly saved Tottenham as they teetered on the edge in the Champions League, making remarkable saves in both legs of the semi-finals before Spurs rallied from three goals down to beat Ajax.
“We are where we are as we have given a bit extra for the team to make the results be in our favour.
“It is important to have the same attitude and character for the final.”
from World Soccer Talk http://bit.ly/2JKOgkn
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