Tottenham defender Danny Rose has called on the Premier League to help English teams out in their bids to win the Champions League this season.
Spurs and Liverpool are the last two home clubs standing in the European Cup as they take on Ajax and Barcelona respectively, but the semi-finals take place at the same time as the league season is reaching its conclusion.
Tottenham, playing at this stage of the competition for the first time in their history, host the Eredivisie side in the first leg next Tuesday and while they must play West Ham in a London derby this Saturday, Ajax’s own domestic fixture has been cancelled to give them maximum preparation time.
🗓️ SEMI-FINALS 🗓️— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) April 18, 2019
The outspoken Rose would like English sides to receive a similar courtesy as they fly the flag for their country.
“It would be nice,” Rose said. “I couldn’t believe it when I heard that’s what the Dutch were doing.
“Of course when you get to this stage of the season, a little bit of fatigue can start to kick in and every little helps.
“It would be nice if the people in England took a similar stance and helped us out because ultimately it’s not Tottenham against Ajax.
“We’re England. We want to bring the Champions League, obviously to Tottenham, but we want to bring it to England.
“And every little could help us along the way.”
With Spurs on the hunt for a maiden Champions League title and looking a good bet to secure a fourth successive top-four Premier League finish, they are continuing to establish themselves as a powerhouse of English football.
The move into their incredible new stadium will surely help them take the next step, but having gone through the last two transfer windows without making a signing, Rose has urged the board to do “whatever they see fit” to make it happen.
“We’ve got the foundations, but it is not just the foundations that attract players and make players want to stay or make players want to sign,” the England international added.
“We’ve got a great base now. It’s out of the players’ control.
“We just have to trust that the people upstairs are going to do whatever they see fit to help us make that next step.
“We know that our manager is a winner. He demands the best from us and he wants us to win something as well.
The Late Late Show with @ChrisEriksen8.— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) April 24, 2019
“So while everybody is on the same page, we can just look forward to next season and see what it brings.”
Getting Christian Eriksen to sign a new deal could be vital to any hopes Spurs have of bringing silverware to the club as the Dane has been crucial this season.
Contract talks have stalled, with his current deal expiring next summer, leading to speculation he could be sold at the end of the campaign.
Boss Mauricio Pochettino revealed he is open to discussing a new deal and Rose hopes the club can persuade him to commit.
“It’s obviously vital,” he said. “If you look over the five years that the manager’s been here, Christian has probably played the most games and that says a lot.
“When he doesn’t play there are questions that we don’t look the same.
“It’s a pleasure to play with him, I hope he does sign.
“The lads in the changing room trust the people upstairs to hopefully get him to do that.
“We’ll just have to wait and see and hope that he does sign.”
