Pedro Porro
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Atletico Madrid secured a commanding 5-2 aggregate lead over Tottenham Hotspur in the first leg at the Metropolitano Stadium. Despite the Spanish side’s dominance, Tottenham’s Pedro Porro remains hopeful about his team’s chances of making a comeback in the Champions League. In a recent interview, Porro emphasized the importance of belief and the role of the home crowd in potentially turning the tie around.
Pedro Porro said: “I said it after the match: if you don’t believe, stay in Madrid. It’s true we haven’t been winning in the Premier League, but in Europe we haven’t lost [at home] in almost 20 matches. In the [2024/25 Europa League] semi-finals against Bodo, for example, we went up 2-0 early. No one can say it’s impossible – and that’s the message: if you don’t believe, stay in Madrid. Call me crazy, but in a single match, you score once, and everything can change.”
Porro also highlighted the significance of fan support at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, recalling the electric atmosphere during previous European fixtures.
The Spaniard said: “It really surprised me. The first leg of the (Europa League) quarter-final against Eintracht Frankfurt, for instance, the atmosphere was incredible. And the semi-final against Bodo was spectacular. The fans were pushing us on; you could feel it. The back‑and‑forth energy is one of our strengths. I hope the fans don’t feel this tie is lost.”
Reflecting on the first leg, Porro expressed disbelief at the early deficit but remained focused on the potential for redemption.
Porro said: “When I looked up and saw on the scoreboard that it was the 17th or 20th minute, and we were already down 3-0, 4-0… I couldn’t believe it. Something similar happened to me in Scotland with the [Spain] national team – I slipped, and the opponent scored. That’s the message I told Tony [Kinsky]: anything can happen in football.”
Porro defended coach Igor Tudor’s decision to substitute Antonin Kinsky early in the match, emphasizing the need to protect the player after a challenging start.
He said: “A million things run through your head. From my point of view, the coach handled it well – he wanted to protect him. None of us thought he took him off because of two mistakes. Marcos [Llorente]’s first goal is a rocket; there’s nothing you can do about that, and the rest can happen to anyone. I understood the decision to protect him.”
Amidst the pressure of avoiding relegation from the Premier League while competing in the Champions League, Porro remains determined to focus on both fronts.
Porro said: “Everyone knows it’s a delicate moment, but I’m focused on turning this around. When you’ve got things to fix in every area, you lock in on the day‑to‑day and try to get out of it as soon as possible. It’s not easy. I’m the kind of player who’s already thinking about the next match the moment the previous one ends, but yeah – we also have to stay focused on the Premier League.”
Porro’s optimistic outlook and call for unity among fans and players alike underscore Tottenham’s fighting spirit as they prepare for the crucial second leg against Atletico Madrid.
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