The Brazilian departed north London with the club on the verge of a new era, as his career never picked up after he signed for Queens Park Rangers.
Follow Us
Sandro has opened up about his departure from Tottenham Hotspur, which he considers as the “biggest mistake” of his career. The Brazilian departed north London with the club on the verge of a new era. However, the Brazilian’s career never picked up after he signed for Queens Park Rangers. It was in 2014 when he moved to QPR. But, it was the same year, Mauricio Pochettino was appointed as Spurs manager. He went on to make Tottenham a Premier League heavyweights, as they turned into a force to reckon with. Among the many promising things, he guided them on a fantastic run that culminated in the Champions League final five years later.
“The biggest mistake of my career was leaving Tottenham,” Sandro told Goal. “I had two years left on my contract. I loved everybody. In this situation, I made a bad decision because I didn’t think about the move. I just said: ‘I want to go. I want to move’. I didn’t think about it. When I moved to QPR, I was feeling a little bit angry. You can’t make a decision when you’re angry with something. You have to let it go, think and be very calm to make a big decision.”
Sandro was reportedly not happy with falling out of favour under Pochettino’s predecessor, Tim Sherwood. His Spurs adventure began in 2010. The then 21-year-old had just helped Internacional to win the Copa Libertadores. Heurelho Gomes made him feel comfortable at Spurs, and manager Harry Redknapp gave the defensive midfielder a regular run in the first team. He impressed as Tottenham went on to beat AC Milan in the Champions League last-16.
“I remember all of it. It was raining a little bit, but the pitch was perfect,” he recalled. “The music in the stadium was amazing. It was Sweet Child O’ Mine, Guns N’ Roses. Wow, I love this song. I can see the rain coming down and the lights of the stadium. Beautiful! The game was amazing. We played well and won against Milan in the San Siro. It was a dream.”
He was a perfect fit for the Premier League, as his energetic, commanding and competitive style of play helped him settle down in the league quickly. Manchester City were among those who showed interest in him.
“Everything was done, and I said no because I loved my time at Tottenham too much. I was enjoying it and I was in the starting 11. I was afraid to go to Manchester City and have to adapt again. What I felt in that moment was special. I would have been leaving something behind.”
Sandro played alongside the likes of Luka Modric, Gareth Bale and Rafael van der Vaart. There were times when he was paired with Modric in midfield, and they both flourished together.
“He was great, but I’ve been suffering ever since he left. He showed me good things and now I’m suffering,” laughed Sandro. “He’s so intelligent. He understands a lot about the game – the movement, the control of the ball. He’s magical with the ball. When you train with a player, you see everything. Everybody knew that he was an amazing talent.”
