Ajax Boss Erik ten Hag Slams PL Pay Disparity After Mauricio Pochettino Comments

Ajax manager Erik ten Hag has dismissed suggestions from Tottenham Hotspur counterpart Mauricio Pochettino that his side are favourites for their UEFA Champions League semi-final opening leg on Tuesday. 

Pochettino recently referred to the absences of injured Harry Kane and suspended Heung-min Son as cause to favour Ajax and told reporters the Dutch club calendar favoured the Eredivisie side. 

Ten Hag took umbrage with that assessment of the first-leg fixture, however, and said at a press conference on Monday that the difference in payouts between their respective leagues levelled the playing field:

"We get €10 million (£8.7 million) for playing in Eredivisie and they get many more millions for being in the Premier League. Is that not unfair on us?

"There are always differing circumstances. Everybody has different circumstances. You just have to deal with them. That's what we do."

Pochettino made his remarks before Spurs fell 1-0 at home to West Ham United on Saturday, a disappointing defeat they'll hope isn't a precursor to their meeting with Ajax in north London.

The Dutch outfit have defied the odds to knock Real Madrid and Juventus out of the knockout stages, and there is a sense it could be a rare opportunity for this particular class (U.S. only):

Kane's season is in doubt due to an ankle ligament injury, but advancing to the Champions League final would be one way for Spurs to give their star man a chance of returning before the campaign finishes.

Son is suspended for the visit of Ajax after picking up his third caution of the tournament in the second leg of their quarter-final victory against English rivals Manchester City.

To contrast Ten Hag's judgement over winnings against Ajax's English equivalents, 2016-17 Premier League champions Chelsea received more than £150 million in total winnings, per Goal's Ryan Kelly. Teams in the English top flight received close to £80 million each that season in TV distribution alone.

The tactician added Ajax have thrived through a combination of young, lesser-known talents and good recruitment of experienced players from foreign divisions, per TalkSport's Ian Abrahams:

Both Daley Blind, 29, and Dusan Tadic, 30, had slumped at Manchester United and Southampton, respectively, but both boasted prior Eredivisie experience and have been smash hits for Ten Hag.

Pochettino sees his journey at Tottenham as a fairy tale of its own and recently illustrated how his side are exceeding expectations, via the Guardian:

One could easily put Pochettino's comments down as little more than mind games ahead of such a crucial clash. Spurs failed to sign any players during the last two transfer windows and have succeeded despite the dearth of new arrivals.

Ten Hag doesn't appear willing to let Spurs steal the underdog title, however, as his side hope to capitalise on their hosts' torment by clinching a first-leg advantage at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.