Yves Bissouma: Tottenham Hotspur win in Europa League semi-final the best night of my life – but I want another in the final | Football News

It is not every day – or season – that a team finds itself preparing for a major European final. In fact, there are just three and it’s a long road to reach them. But for Tottenham Hotspur and Yves Bissouma, that is exactly where they find themselves.

Spurs will face Manchester United in the Europa League final on May 21, with both looking to redeem a season that, domestically, has been disappointing.

But they have somehow found a way to perform in the continental competition. Tottenham Hotspur finished fourth in the league phase – a point behind Manchester United in third – and cruised to a 5-2 win against Bodo/Glimt in the semi-finals.

And Bissouma wants to top what he describes as a night he will never forget.

“It was the best night of my life because I qualified for the final of the Europa League,” the midfielder, speaking exclusively to Sky Sports, said of the second leg in Norway.

“Nothing can change it in my life and I will never forget this. And I know I can have one night that can be better than this so I’m trying to work hard to be ready for that.

“It’s not every time you have a chance to play a European final and it’s not something that’s coming every season, so a special moment like this, you feel it like a dream. I don’t want to wake up.

“I realise it’s not a dream, we worked hard for that to be where we are now. The club deserves it, the fans and we deserve it as well because every day we’re working really hard to be where we are now.

“We have to do the right things to bring that trophy home.”

Bissouma had predicted after the second leg that Daniel Levy would be singing along with the players on the plane home. “I was excited and happy!” he said with a laugh, without revealing if the Spurs chairman did take the mic.

How Bissouma form has turned around

The Mali international was a big part of Tottenham’s semi-final success. Across the two legs, he ranked joint-top for shots and possessions won in the defensive third. He was also in the top four for tackles, interceptions and possessions won in the midfield third.

But Bissouma was quick to point out how those at the club helped him to do so, saying: “It’s not just me, it’s a team.

“We work so hard – the coaches, all of the staff, the players. We are a Spurs family. This season was really hard for us and it’s not the time for us to give up. We’re all staying together.

“Maybe you saw me play, but the coaches, the information they gave me, for me to do it on the pitch, the way we train, all these things help me to play like I played.

“It’s a team win and I’m really happy for that because now we have what we wanted. Now, it’s one more game, so let’s be ready and go.”

It marks a turnaround for Bissouma, where his performances this season have not always reflected the talent he has – arguably reflective of Tottenham Hotspur’s campaign overall.

After losing late on to Fulham in March, Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou said the midfielder can “sometimes let the game drift by him” and wanted Bissouma to be more dominant on the ball.

But before facing Crystal Palace, Postecoglou spoke of his pride in his player after his Europa League performances, saying the pair had spoken recently when the head coach told Bissouma he would be needed to help the team in a crucial moment.

“I’m here for my team. Even if I play or not, I always have to be ready. That’s the way I grew up – that’s my mentality. I will never give up,” he reflected.

“The more it’s hard, the more I work hard. I was thinking like, ‘my time will come. I have to be ready if my team needs me, if the coach needs me’ so it was in my mind.

“I was ready before we spoke so that’s not new for me. To come back and play for the important game of the season, it shows how he [Postecoglou] trusts me and he knows I can do the job.

“It’s always a pleasure to work with Ange. I have a good relationship with him. He’s one of the managers who really understands players and tries to do his best for his team. He puts in all of his energy for success.

“I take it [any criticism] in a good way because when I was good, he was telling me I was good. And when I’m not, if he says that, I take it in a good way.

“He said that for me to improve, to show him the best [player] he knows, it’s making me work hard to be at my best.

“You prepare yourself during pre-season to have a really good season, but sometimes, things happen and you have to deal with it. It’s important to stay strong, mentally especially, because it’s not easy.

“And I understand when some fans are not happy with me. It’s because they know I’m a really good player, they know how I can help the team and they’re frustrated because I’m not doing what I can do. I understand and I take it in a good way.

“That’s why all these things make me work harder to become at my best, try to help my team and bring them to the level that this club needs to be.”

It goes without saying that Bissouma will need to harness all of his recent form to help Tottenham Hotspur lift their first trophy since 2008 next week, as well as ending their Premier League season on a positive note.

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