Tottenham Hotspur’s Europa League campaign suffered a setback as they fell to a narrow 1-0 defeat against AZ Alkmaar in the first leg of their Round of 16 clash, leaving them with a difficult task in the return fixture.

After the final whistle, emotions boiled over, particularly for goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, who was visibly frustrated as he reacted toward the travelling Spurs supporters.

The fans, unhappy with the team’s lacklustre performance, voiced their disappointment with boos and whistles, leading to a tense moment between them and the Italian shot-stopper.

Vicario has since addressed the incident, clarifying that his reaction was not out of frustration toward the fans but rather an attempt to keep the team and supporters united, even in difficult moments.

Reflecting on the match, he took to Instagram to express his thoughts, admitting that the squad underperformed and must take full responsibility for their display. He stressed the importance of learning from the setback and using it as motivation to improve ahead of the second leg.

The 28-year-old also reinforced his commitment to the club and its fanbase, apologizing to anyone who may have misunderstood his actions.

He said:

“As a team, we take full responsibility for our terrible performance on the pitch last night. We will work even harder to understand, as a mature group, what went wrong.

“Still, we have a great opportunity, starting from Sunday, to redeem ourselves and prepare in the best way possible for the second battle next Thursday.

“Regarding what happened at the final whistle in front of the away section, I want to clarify my intention to keep everyone as united as possible, even in the disappointment we have caused our people. If I have offended anyone, I apologise to those who felt affected.

“Post-match emotions can be misunderstood, but I assure you that my commitment to this team and you, our fans, grows stronger day after day. COYS, together.”

Despite Tottenham’s struggles on the night, Vicario was a standout performer and one of the few positives from the game. According to FotMob, he was named Player of the Match with an outstanding rating of 8.1. His crucial saves kept Spurs in the tie, as he faced expected goals on target (xGOT) of 1.56 and prevented the same amount.

He made three diving saves, all from inside the box, and was composed in possession, completing 21 out of 22 passes with 95% accuracy while successfully executing all three of his attempted long balls.

While Vicario’s passion and leadership are commendable, Tottenham must collectively step up in the second leg. With their European hopes hanging in the balance, they need a significantly better performance in the 2nd leg.