Mathys Tel Breaks Silence on Tottenham's Shocking Champions League Rejection
Mathys Tel has expressed that being excluded from Tottenham Hotspur's Champions League roster "stings", but has pledged to bounce back "in the strongest way possible".
Tel moved to Spurs on a temporary deal at the close of the January transfer period this year, though Bayern Munich, where he arrived as a 17-year-old and later became their youngest-ever scorer, were prepared to let him go permanently during the summer.
The 20-year-old didn't set north London alight during his temporary stint, yet he showed flashes of the ability that brought him widespread recognition in his teenage years. He concluded 2024–25 with three strikes in 20 outings for the North London club.
Ange Postecoglou allegedly persuaded Tel to stay with Spurs in January despite significant interest from other clubs. Nevertheless, the Australian has since been replaced by Thomas Frank following a historically poor domestic campaign.
Frank's history of developing attacking players looks promising for Tel, though the French forward has experienced a difficult beginning to the new campaign, highlighted by the manager's choice to exclude him from Spurs' roster for their eight Champions League group stage matches.
Tottenham's inadequate roster management ultimately compelled Frank to name an unexpected omission, with their shortage of 'home-grown' players cutting their squad numbers from 25 to 22.
Nevertheless, Tel has handled disappointments well throughout his young career and has demonstrated during his short tenure at the club that he possesses wisdom beyond his years. Addressing the squad exclusion, he stated (via Le Télégramme): "It's obvious that when you're not included in a squad, it certainly stings, but I'm someone who remains quite optimistic, regardless of the circumstances, because I believe I've put significant effort into my psychological preparation, so today it's certainly a letdown; I would have preferred to be included.
"But the manager's decision is the manager's decision; we can only accept it, and we'll put in the effort to return in the strongest way possible," he continued.
Following his missed penalty in Spurs' shootout loss to Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup, Tel has appeared as a substitute in two of their opening Premier League matches this season. Though a flexible player able to fill different positions, Tel currently ranks behind Wilson Odobert in the hierarchy, not to mention Frank's three striker options, including transfer deadline day signing Randal Kolo Muani.
Nevertheless, there's ample time before the Champions League elimination rounds begin, and Frank will have opportunities to adjust his squad should Spurs progress.