Mauricio Pochettino has admitted that Tottenham's exit from the Europa League was more disappointing for him than their Champions League elimination.

The Spurs boss said: "The Champions League is a closed chapter. I am more disappointed to be out of the Europa League. That hurt me more than the Champions League.

"Why do English teams struggle in Europe? The Premier League is so difficult to manage, along with the cups. Then you have to be fresh to play very good teams in Europe.

"For many clubs in Europe, the Champions League or the Europa League is the most important competition. They rest players in other competitions so they are ready for Europe, which is a different approach from in England.

"Here you can't rest players or make changes. At Christmas we have the toughest period of the season, whereas players in European leagues are in Dubai or the Bahamas, places like that. We are training, competing, focusing on football.

"That affects the situation when you get to February and March. It is a big advantage for the teams in Europe whereas for us, it is very tough."