Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino has said that the Premier League is the "true test" of English football.
Spurs' only hope of silverware this term lies in the FA Cup, after the club exited the Champions League with defeat to Juventus.
Pochettino's team are three wins away from a cup crown ahead of Saturday's quarter-final with Swansea City, but the Argentine told Sky Sports News that a league title is a bigger test than cup wins.
"The Premier League or La Liga or the Bundesliga or the [Serie A], not only you need luck - you need to deserve to win this type of title," the 46-year-old said. "To win the Premier League is different. I don't know if who wins the titles like FA Cup or League Cup is the best team.
"The Premier League is the true test because you need the whole squad to be involved then the competition is 38 games, 10 months. League Cup, Copa del Rey, FA Cup - they are very short periods and sometimes it is a coincidence, maybe you have some players not in good form, you compete and you are out.
"It's completely different. There are competitions that if you win, fantastic. But if you don't win, nothing changes. When you win a real tournament, when you play under pressure and perform at your best over 10 months, in that moment is when you start to learn about winning. What it means to be winners, what it means to be professional. That is one step when you start to understand in your head."
Spurs' FA Cup last-eight tie is followed by a clash with Chelsea at the start of April.
Jonny Whitfield
