Mourinho, Spurs goalkeepers spot 'small goalposts' before Europa League match

Tottenham Hostpur manager Jose Mourinho was involved in a fun incident before their UEFA Europa League match against Shkendija after the Portuguese, after being alerted by his keepers, found out that the size of the goalposts were smaller than the actual size allotted by FIFA.

Spurs goalkeepers Hugo Lloris and Joe Hart noticed the dimensions had some errors and told Mourinho, who took the matter up with UEFA’s delegates at the match. Following the match, Mourinho posted photograph of himself on Instagram as he was seen nearly touching the crossbar.

“Before the game was a funny situation because my goalkeepers told me that the goal was small,” said Mourinho after goals from Erik Lamela, Son Heung-min and substitute Harry Kane fired his side to a 3-1 victory.

“I went by myself and of course the goal was small. The goalkeepers, they spend hours and hours and hours in the goal so they know when the goal is not the right dimension.

“I am not a goalkeeper but I know football since I was a kid and I know when I stand there and spread my arms and I know the distance so I felt immediately that something was going wrong.

“We got the UEFA delegate to confirm and yes it was 5cm smaller (too low), and of course we demanded for the goals to be replaced with goals of the right dimension.”

Thematch was played in Skopje’s Tose Proeski Arena, the capital of North Macedonia as Shkendija’s stadium didn’t fulfill UEFA’s requirements of Europa League.

Spurs, after defeating Shkendija, will now face Maccabi Haifa in the final qualifying round of Europa League next week.