Tottenham secured a narrow victory against AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League qualifying round, but behind the goal was some unnecessary controversy.
The incident occurred in the second half when both Maddison and Richarlison wanted to take the penalty. The Brazilian forward grabbed the ball and gently pushed Maddison aside, creating a tense situation. Ultimately, Maddison conceded the penalty to Richarlison, who successfully converted the spot-kick in his first appearance back from injury.
Maddison revealed that the decision to let Richarlison take the penalty was aimed at boosting his teammate’s confidence, as he hadn’t scored for the club since May. “Initially, we both wanted to take it. As the captain, I should have been the one to shoot,” Maddison told TNT Sports. “But I thought about Richy, who just returned from injury, and made the spontaneous decision to let him take it. That will help him a lot.”
Additionally, Maddison praised 17-year-old Mikey Moore. “From the 45th to the 65th minute, I felt like we had Neymar on the left wing! He’s been fantastic. Always wanting the ball and never afraid,” he said.
Head coach Ange Postecoglou also expressed his satisfaction: “It’s hard to keep that quiet after what Maddison just said. Mikey is an exciting young talent with a lot of potential. It really is something to look forward to.”