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Spurs Manager Criticises Counterpart’s Classless Gesture

Tottenham manager Tim Sherwood has criticised the attitude of Benfica counterpart Jorge Jesus after their Europa League win at White Hart Lane.

Spurs boss Sherwood saw his team suffer a 3-1 first-leg defeat in Thursday night’s round-of-16 tie at White Hart Lane.

The Portuguese club were deserving victors on the night but the touchline antics of their manager Jorge Jesus upset Sherwood throughout the match.

Jesus, whose team are now unbeaten in 24 matches, showed three fingers to Sherwood after Luisao made it 3-1, antagonising the Spurs boss at the end of a match in which they did not shake hands.

“I thought his team were very good and showed a lot of class – it’s just a shame he didn’t,” Sherwood said.

“In the first two minutes, he was coming over to the fourth official saying I was stepping in his box.

“He doesn’t mind himself, does he, to be fair? Waving goodbye like that [with three fingers]? It lacks class. Why would anyone do that?

“He’s got a good side, of course he has, but, nah, not for me thank you. I have no intention of speaking to him.”

Jesus downplayed the incident, insisting the three-fingered gesture referred to the goalscorer Luisao – despite the fact the Brazilian wears number four.

“I was saying: ‘number three, Luisao, number three,” he said. “Maybe here in England, the benches are too close together, compared to in Portugal.

“In Portugal, we have more space apart and we can demonstrate ourselves in our own way.

“When at some stage I invaded Tim Sherwood’s personal space, he told me to go to mine. He did the same to me. But it was no more than that, it was quite pleasant in the end.”

Jesus was not overly concerned if Sherwood had felt disrespected – “that’s his own problem if he felt like that” – and insisted Spurs were by no means out of the tie heading into next week’s second leg.