**What did you make of the match? It’s obviously strange to have a red card in a friendly…**
I think we played a great first half. We played very well. In the second half, I think it changed the game for us, for sure, for the fans and for Chelsea as well. It was worse for us and for Chelsea because if you consider the condition of the pitch, very bad.
If you consider we are starting from two weeks, less than three weeks, in the second half you start to fatigue and playing, attacking against 10 players behind the line of the ball is tough for every team, not for Chelsea. Especially because we took a risk for the injury for the player.
I can understand the red card, change and a substitution come another for the level of football for every one of us. But at the end, I’m happy because we have now three points on the table. I know very well. But we have to change habits in the result.
They do us to believe in the result until the end. Even if we stay one player less, even if we are suffering, the value of the result is important also in the friendly game, also three weeks before the Premier League starts.
**You got some minutes into the legs. Sandro Tonali, Archie Gray, Ben Davies got a lot of minutes out there**
Sandro Tonali, Archie and Ben Davis. All three played more than the plan was before the game. Like Robertson and Lucas Bergvall. But they are good. I’m so happy for the young players because Malachy (Hardy), Rio (Kyeramaten), Tye (Hall), Kota (Takai), the other central back, they have been in this period very important for us. Very good players.
**Richarlison. He’s got 12 months left on his contract, but he keeps coming up in moments for Tottenham and he knows where the net is. What’s the future for him in your eyes?**
I don’t know. I like (him) as a player, as a guy, it’s unbelievable his attitude, behaviour, but at the end we have to respect what he wants to do. We know, every one of us knows what he wants to do, but for me he’s still an important player because it’s not so easy to find another striker like Richarlison because Richarlison scored goals and he knows the way.
The new striker we don’t know, the other striker we don’t know. He scored 12 goals last season, not for lucky because he feels the way to score.
**Are you saying he does want to leave?**
I don’t know, I didn’t understand well because sometimes he said to stay, sometimes he leaves and we have to speak anyway. There is not any problem. He’s a lovely guy. All of us love him. The teammates, the club, the staff, because he works hard every day, seriously every day, and we can’t say anything on the pitch.
**80,000 out there tonight. A lot of them very loud Spurs fans singing, are you aware a lot of Australian fans get up very early in the morning to watch Spurs play? What do you think about those fans and the atmosphere they created tonight?**
It was an incredible atmosphere. We are very happy to make them happy and proud for us. My group feels the love from the fans and every one of them, my players want to give something back to them. We know in the last two seasons we have not played like the people want, like the fans want, like the history of the club says, but we are working to do better and better than last season.
**You made Archie Gray the captain in all the games. What is the reason behind that? Is that a message? Is he a real contender?**
Because I’m the coach, I decide. No, because I spoke with Ben Davies before to speak with Archie Gray, because the natural captain today was Ben Davies. Anyway, I think it’s been more important for Archie Gray than for Ben Davies because … to give Archie something more as confidence. Last season, I said he’s the future of the club but also the present. He’s important for us because he can cover two or three positions on the pitch. He doesn’t love too much playing in the right-back position. But I think to be a captain you have to think first of all for the group, for the team, for the club and then for yourself. So it was something more to give him because he deserved to be important for this club, even if he plays in different position, if he doesn’t play in the first XI. But it’s important, like Bergvall, because for Lucas I have the same opinion and same idea.
**Mykhailo Mudryk can play football again…**
He’s another of my son and I’m very happy he deserves to play. He’s a good guy, top player. Hopefully he can show what he suffered in the last two years in the next season, this season. Maybe not against Tottenham but he’s a lovely guy and he’s a very, very good player.
**Did you speak to Mykhailo during the last two years at all?**
With Misha? Misha Mudrik? All the time. With my former player, I talk a lot of time. Behind this room there is Kevin Prince-Boateng, my former player at Sassuolo, he played in Tottenham and he’s like another son because the relationship can’t finish after you leave from a team. Or with Levi Colwill… with João Pedro. All people I have to thank you for what they gave me. And for Misha the same, especially for Misha Mudrik because I left from Kiev for the war. For the war reason and I left that team, that club, not for football. It was an amazing team, amazing group. Maybe the best level of football I’ve done.
**It’s been reported in South America that the club have agreed to sell Cristian Romero to Inter Milan. Are you able to give any updates on that?**
I don’t know. I texted with Cuti (Romero) yesterday, this morning and yesterday, but to make a plan when he has to come to London. But for the transfer market and also it’s not my job. You have to ask Johann Lange and Vinai (Venkatesham). I know there are many solutions in the transfer market but I don’t follow the negotiation.
**Was it intentional to build your pre-season tour around this game? It felt like the first time we saw an intensity that didn’t look a million miles away from what you’d see in the Premier League.**
No, I think, forget me, but the staff, the physical staff this season is amazing and we are working to build a clear plan considering the potential injury, considering the minutes the players are going to play.
A lot of things because now, because we have to work almost individually. For players you have to create the plan. For example, it was 45 minutes for JP Van Hecke, (Dominic) Solanke and (Andy) Robertson but (Destiny) Udogie couldn’t play so we pushed Robertson 15-20 minutes more. For Lucas Bergvall the same and now especially after the World Cup you have to manage in different ways.
**Can I ask about Antonin Kinsky? Two or three incredible saves in this game. How good do you think he can be?**
Yes, I think he can improve in build up a lot. He will reach for sure the top working with the goalkeeper coach. With me, we created the training just for him to understand better the free player, understand better the free man, to understand better everything he needs because he is very clear with the pass, but he can become faster in the decision and build up because he has all qualities to become one of the best also in the build-up, the distribution.
**You have a lot of fans here in Australia and Australians love the underdog and someone with passion. How important is it this season to bring that passion every night on the field?**
I don’t know, I think for all jobs it’s important because the passion is how you feel what you are doing and when you… how you want, how is important for you, your work.
One part of myself is the passion. I think I’m a normal coach, not a different coach. But maybe I give in my work something more than normal, but the other coaches.