FORMER ref Mike Dean was “stupid” and has “shown what he is” – according to Mauricio Pochettino.
Poch was involved in an angry bust-up with Dean after Spurs’ 2-1 defeat at Burnley in 2019.
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The Argentine played down suggestions that Dean had mocked Tottenham’s fading title hopes in the altercation.
But after the ex-whistler claimed he had played “MINI GAMES” during Prem clashes, Pochettino suggested Dean had not done himself any favours.
Poch said: “He was always controversial. But now he’s showing people how he was.
“Our code is we never talk about what happened on the pitch.
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“You know, ‘what happened in Las Vegas, stays in Las Vegas’.
“When you are a player and something happened on the pitch, you always keep it a secret.
“At that time, the Burnley match, we were under pressure and disappointed and he said one stupid thing, which we reacted to.
“It wasn’t important and not something we couldn’t deal with it.
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“But when you are under that pressure, you don’t want to hear a joke.
“He put gasoline on the fire.”
Asked about Dean’s recent claims, Poch added: “Maybe he’s now playing a little bit with his personality, trying to be funny, and to create some controversial things.
“I don’t believe that he did what he was saying he did in that podcast.
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“He’s putting some salt, pepper, like a chilli, some condiments on a steak.
“It was always funny to be with him and we had a good relationship.
“There was just that one situation, that was tough because we were in a very sensitive moment.
“And that’s it. It’s all just in the memory now.”