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Jose Mourinho targets Europa League hat-trick despite 'crazy' Tottenham fixture schedule

Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty I
Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty I

Jose Mourinho is targeting a Europa League hat-trick, but warned it will not be easy for his Tottenham side to get out of the group amid “completely crazy fixture congestion”.

Spurs begin their European campaign proper in earnest with a visit from Austrians LASK after coming through three gruelling qualifying rounds.

Mourinho has already won the Europa League with Porto (when it was the Uefa Cup) and Manchester United, and wants to join Giovanni Trapattoni and Unai Emery by winning Uefa’s secondary club competition three times.

“We’re going to try [to win it],” the Spurs boss said. “It’s the third time I played the competition and the other two times we managed to win it. So the record is great, never knocked out. Of course, lost a few matches in the group phase, but managed always to win it.

“It is difficult. It is a very long competition, the group phase is tricky, then you go to the knockouts and you get teams coming from the Champions League, which is very unfair.”

Spurs are firm favourites to qualify from a group also including Ludogorets and Belgian side Royal Antwerp, but Mourinho is wary of overconfidence.

“We have to make sure that the stats don’t make us believe it’s done,” he said. “We need nine, 10, 11 points to make it. We will have two matches in December in the midst of crazy fixture congestion.

“We have to make sure that we start in a positive way, getting points and qualifying. The group is very compact. Belgium teams are never easy, LASK is very difficult to play against. Ludogorets are not going to be easy. So, first of all let’s qualify and then let’s see after.”

Mourinho will be without centre-backs Eric Dier (hamstring), Japhet Tanganga (thigh) and Joe Rodon (ineligible), so Davinson Sanchez will start, despite scoring an own goal in Sunday’s 3-3 draw with West Ham.

“This is my fourth season here,” Sanchez said. “As a player I think [I’ve got] better. I want to give everything to keep improving myself.”

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