Thomas Frank expressed immense pride in his Tottenham side after they came within two minutes of a famous UEFA Super Cup victory over Paris Saint-Germain, only to lose on penalties. Goals from Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero put Spurs in control before Lee Kang-in and Gonçalo Ramos forced extra time and eventually a shootout, where Van de Ven and Mathys Tel missed.
Frank praised his players for dominating the first three-quarters of the match against a star-studded PSG side. 'Very, very proud of the players, the team, the club, the fans,' he said. 'I think the players gave everything against one of the best teams in the world, maybe the best. For 75 to 80 minutes we were perfect.'
The Dane refused to blame individuals for the shootout defeat, calling it 'down to the smallest of margins, like the flip of a coin.' He thanked those who stepped up to take penalties. Frank had set Spurs up with a back three and emphasised set pieces, which proved effective for both goals, a tactic he described as 'a special operation' that nearly succeeded.
Frank noted greater flexibility compared to predecessor Ange Postecoglou, saying, 'We showed that we can be adaptable and pragmatic.' He added that the defensive approach, both high pressure and low defending, was 'almost perfect.'
Looking ahead to Saturday's Premier League opener against Burnley, Frank confirmed the club is working to strengthen the squad, with interest in Manchester City's Savinho and Crystal Palace's Eberechi Eze. 'We'd like to strengthen the squad, no doubt about that,' he said.
PSG manager Luis Enrique praised debutant goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier, who replaced the seemingly outbound Gianluigi Donnarumma. Despite being at fault for Romero's goal, Chevalier saved from Van de Ven in the shootout. 'He's shown personality and we want him to integrate with the team immediately,' Enrique said.
