Mauricio Pochettino: 'Tottenham Hotspur season is a success without FA Cup'

Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino has claimed that his side's season can be regarded as a success even if they end the campaign with no silverware to show for their efforts.

Spurs are still in the running for a league and cup double during the closing stages of the season having closed the gap on leaders Chelsea to four points in the Premier League and reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup - where they will face Chelsea on Saturday.

Pochettino is yet to lift any silverware during his time at the club, with Tottenham's last trophy coming nine years ago, but the Argentine believes that success should be measured differently for clubs like Spurs.

"Here is a massive success. Yes, you can win titles. But with which teams? It is normal to win titles with Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, maybe Juventus, Porto in Portugal," he told reporters.

"With a big team, you are already very close to winning. Look at Barcelona with Pep [Guardiola], with Tito Vilanova, with [Frank] Rijkaard, with Luis Enrique. All different managers but with the same group of players and they were successful.

"Success for me is to finish in the top four like last season. It was a big success for Tottenham and means maybe more than winning one title with Barcelona. I dream of lifting trophies but the way I did with Espanyol, two Copa del Reys with Espanyol, that is why I admire Diego Simeone at Atletico Madrid. It is so difficult to win with Atletico Madrid. He deserves more credit maybe than some others."

Tottenham last won the FA Cup in 1991.