Micky van de Ven furiously hits back at 'nonsense' claims in passionate Tottenham statement

Micky van de Ven spoke to the press before Tottenham's huge Champions League clash (Image: 2026 Charlotte Wilson/Offside)

Micky van de Ven has blasted suggestions Tottenham Hotspur players have "switched off" as "nonsense". The Dutchman spoke to the press before Spurs' Champions League round of 16 second-leg clash against Atletico Madrid.

Under Igor Tudor, Tottenham began poorly losing all four of the Croatian's first four matches. Their 5-2 away loss to Atletico was particularly concerning, as the north Londoners conceded four goals in a disastrous opening 20 minutes.

However, Tudor watched his team fight their way to a 1-1 away draw to Liverpool which ended their recent rotten run of form. Ahead of the second-leg clash against Atletico tomorrow evening, Van de Ven lashed out at suggestions many of his Spurs colleagues had checked out.

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When he was asked about suggestions many of his colleagues had "switched off" amongst the frustration of their recent form, Van de Ven said: "Of course I've seen things.

"Reporters just say things sometimes and it's like how did you come up with this, like players have switched off. It's not true. They say players are going to leave either way. It's just nonsense and people start believing it."

When asked again about those stories, he said: "Sometimes we just read things about ourselves and other players. We are just like, 'What is this?'

Van de Ven missed the 1-1 away draw with Liverpool (Image: Jose Breton/NurPhoto)

"We read something about one guy who said they were going to leave and doesn't care about the situation they are in, and then someone reads this and it's like 'How does this come out?'

"People just make things up and it's frustrating for us because it brings so much more trouble. The fans then start to believe this or start saying 'Oh the guys do not care anymore. What's going to happen with the club?'

"But, trust me, all of the people involved on the pitch, all of the staff, the players, everyone, they care so much about the situation we are in and we just want to turn things around. That's the main focus for everyone. If some reports are saying the guys don't care anymore, it's just frustrating for out guys."

Van de Ven missed the draw against Liverpool as he was serving a suspension from his red card in the 3-1 away defeat to Crystal Palace. Spurs' draw with the Merseysiders means they remain one point in front of 18th placed West Ham and 17th placed Nottingham Forest, who drew with Manchester City and Fulham respectively.

Meanwhile, in Europe, Spurs will need to win by at least three goals just to force extra-time against the La Liga side. Diego Simeone's team will be without first-choice goalkeeper Jan Oblak, which is a huge boost for Tudor's men.