Tottenham spirit better than Chelsea’s, says André Villas-Boas

André Villas-Boas has aimed a thinly-veiled jibe at his former Chelsea squad after hailing Tottenham’s “fantastic” team spirit.

The 34-year-old was appointed as Harry Redknapp’s successor at White Hart Lane after the former Portsmouth boss was sacked for failing to secure Tottenham’s participation in the Champions League next season.

Villas-Boas was dismissed by Chelsea in March with the Blues on the verge of a premature exit from Europe’s premier club competition and placed outside the top four.

“It is a question you need to ask the players, but from my perspective I have been adapting to them. They are a great group who are enjoying what they are doing. You will get a more specific answer from the players, of course,” said Villas-Boas.

“I think the warmth of the group is excellent to see, and you know two different groups react differently, and we’ve seen that the spirit within this group has been fantastic – it’s different from what I had in the last year.”

Villas-Boas also defended Gareth Bale, who was unable to join Stuart Pearce’s squad due to injury but still played a part in Tottenham’s mid-week friendly – Fifa president Sepp Blatter hinted the winger could be banned if the FA lodged a complaint.

“I can understand the frustration for missing a player of Gareth’s dimensions involved with Team GB, but everything was done as it should be,” Villas-Boas added. “It was approved by the FA doctors regarding his injury, so for me it is the end of story.

“[Blatter] has decided to speak, maybe not knowing the full extent of the situation. They are unfortunate comments, but I can’t make any more comment because he is the Fifa president.”

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