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Mauricio Pochettino upsets Real Madrid with training base joke

Spurs take on Liverpool in Champions League final in Madrid on June 1

Mauricio Pochettino

Real Madrid have hit back at Mauricio Pochettino after he said the club refused Tottenham's request to stay at their 'Real Madrid City' training base at Valdebebas.

Pochettino told Spanish media organisation COPE that Real president Florentino Perez has not allowed them to sleep at the base despite training there in the build-up to the Champions League final against Liverpool on June 1.

The Tottenham manager said: "I asked Florentino to let us sleep in the sports centre, but he did not want to let us have the facilities."

He then appeared to joke with the interviewer that perhaps the reason behind the refusal was because only Real Madrid staff are allowed to use the hotel within their training base, and he would only gain that right if he would become the Real manager.

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In response, Real released a statement which said they are "surprised by the demonstrations made by the coach of Tottenham" and "want to make it clear that it is outright false that this request was produced".

It continued: "All requests submitted to Real Madrid have referred only and exclusively to the use of the training camps of the Ciudad Real Madrid and its changing rooms. And all of them have been granted by our club.

"Thus, Liverpool plans to train in our facilities on Saturday 1 June in the morning. Tottenham, for its part, will do so on Thursday, 30 May and Friday 31 May.

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"Real Madrid CF also wants to emphasise that the accommodation of the finalist teams of the Champions League are assigned by Uefa following criteria of organisation and security.

"And that at no time has our club been requested that these teams could be accommodated in the facilities of Ciudad Real Madrid."

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