A goal, man of the match and a win… but Jose Mourinho’s STILL not happy! Tottenham boss tears into Giovani Lo Celso as he criticises his fitness and reveals he ‘didn’t train’ in lockdown
- Giovani Lo Celso scored for Tottenham in a 3-1 win over Ludogorets in Bulgaria
- Despite also being awarded man of the match, Jose Mourinho slammed his star
- Boss said Lo Celso isn’t fit enough and didn’t train during the first lockdown
- He says Argentine ‘can be an amazing player’ but he wants more from him
Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho has slammed Giovani Lo Celso – despite his goal and man-of-the-match performance against Ludogorets in the Europa League.
While many will have expected the Spurs boss to be full of praise for his star man on Thursday night, Mourinho instead used a question on Lo Celso to tear into him, criticising his fitness and revealing that he ‘didn’t train’ during the first lockdown.
Speaking immediately after Spurs’ 3-1 win in Bulgaria, which puts them top of their Europa League group, Mourinho said of Lo Celso: ‘Good with the ball and not very good without the ball. His physical condition is not good. He didn’t have a pre-season.
Giovani Lo Celso scored Tottenham’s third and was awarded man of the match at Ludogorets
Jose Mourinho, though, did not hold back in his criticism of the Argentine on Thursday night
‘During the lockdown during the previous season he had problems – he didn’t train in that period when other guys were training so he has been up and down in his preparation. So he’s been coming now, step by step.
‘I feel that when he plays he’s not the Gio that we know, not the Gio that we know that he can be an amazing player. But with the ball of course great criteria and he knows what he’s doing of course, and understands the way we want to play. But we need more intensity to be fitter, to be more intense and to be stronger in the transitions.
‘But of course he played more than an hour, and for that hour of course was a football match that we needed to win but it was also let’s say a training session to improve his match fitness.’
Lo Celso points at Son Heung-min after being handed his goal on a plate by the South Korean
Mourinho was not happy with Lo Celso’s fitness, claiming he didn’t train during the lockdown
Lo Celso starred, scoring Spurs’ third goal before picking up the man of the match award, on a night where Harry Kane netted his 200th Tottenham goal.
Spurs are now top of their Europa League group on goal difference, but are in a strong position with just two home games remaining.
Lo Celso has only started one league game for Spurs this season, but will be hoping that as his fitness increases he will be given more chances by the Portuguese.