'Heroes': Spurs boss Pochettino breaks down in tears after Champions League triumph (VIDEO)

Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino, who broke down in tears as Lucas Moura fired his side into the Champions League Final, has hailed his players for their heroics as they defeated Ajax at the death in a sensational game in Amsterdam.

The Argentine coach was overwhelmed with emotion on the final whistle, with tears streaming down his face as he congratulated his players for an achievement which ranks among the best days in the club's 136-year history.

Getty Images / /Fantasista / Chris Brunskill

Lucas Moura, the man for whom statues will be one day be built, will deservedly claim the headlines but there were several heroes scattered through the Londoner's ranks - a point emphasized by an emotional Pochettino as he attempted to gather his thoughts for an interview with UK television immediately after the game.

"It is difficult to talk," he said. 

"I am so emotional. Thank you football. My players are heroes. The second half was amazing. This type of emotion is impossible without football. It is an amazing moment and it is difficult to explain in words."

The Spurs boss, who was odds-on favorite for the Manchester United job before it was handed to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer earlier this year, has enhanced his already stellar reputation to the point where he will now be among the most well-regarded coaches in European football. The demand for his services will now likely intensify.

In a separate television interview, Pochettino outlined how the concept of passion is a must for a successful football team.

"We were talking before in the meeting that when you work and when you feel the love its not a stress it’s a passion and the performance we showed was the passion to love this sport that is football," he said.

"It was tough for us emotionally and for Ajax it was difficult, too. To compete at this level it is a magical competition this can happen. Of course I am so grateful to be a coach and be in football living this type of moment."

To mention the disappointment that Ajax are experiencing is a fitting gesture from Pochettino. The young team from Amsterdam have excelled in this year's competition, playing an attractive brand of football which was too much for Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Juventus to contend with.

The team, constructed on a minuscule budget compared to Europe's elite, have very much earned a place at the top table of football. In the likes of Frenkie De Jong, Matthijs De Ligt, Hakim Ziyech, Donny van de Beek and David Neres, they have unearthed some potential superstars.

De Jong has already agreed to move to Barcelona, while 19-year-old club captain De Ligt is expected to move too but their imprints on the 2018-19 Champions League have resonated across the continent.

The night, though, belongs to Tottenham and perhaps most appropriately to one man in particular. 

"All are heroes but Lucas Moura is a super hero," Pochettino exclaimed. "They all deserve it."