Tottenham will not get to the next level by winning the FA Cup, boss Mauricio Pochettino has reiterated.
Spurs head into this weekend’s semi-final against Manchester United at Wembley aiming to go one step closer to winning a first trophy since 2008.
Pochettino has masterminded an improvement at the club, finishing second in last season’s Premier League while being on the verge of qualifying for a third successive Champions League campaign this time around.
While their rise has been impressive there is a constant clamour to back it up with silverware, something that has so far eluded them under Pochettino.
Winning the FA Cup this season will scratch an increasing itch for a lot of people, but will not make a lot of difference to Pochettino, who openly prioritises other competitions.
“I promise you the club is not going to change if you win or don’t win the FA Cup or the League Cup,” he said.
“It would be fantastic to add that trophy to the club but what would put us to a different level would be to win the Premier League or Champions League.
“That is going to put you in a different level. Here, people love to talk about perception and changing perceptions.
“Good Champions League group stage – you beat Dortmund, Real Madrid and you compete very well against Juventus and the dimension of the club around the world changes completely.
“But in the end, we still need to improve and improve.”
And Pochettino reckons that continuing the revolution at Spurs will increase his chances of signing better players.
He said: “That is what we are changing at Tottenham. The club is the most important here.
“And then, of course, it’s not because you’re going to provide players to play Champions League or Europa League, you are going to attract them or not.
“If you want to play for Tottenham, come on. If you are a player for Tottenham, put this club at the level it deserves.
“For that we need to work hard, to try to push every season and be competitive and competitive.”