What did Kinsky say after his disastrous 17 minutes in the Champions League?

What did Kinsky say after his disastrous 17 minutes in the Champions League?

"Thank you for the messages. From dream to nightmare, and then from nightmare back to dream. See you again." That was the short status update Antonin Kinsky posted on social media after Tottenham's match against Atlético Madrid in the Champions League.

Just a few hours earlier, the 22-year-old goalkeeper had entered the match with a completely different mindset: his first start in Europe's most prestigious competition.

Tottenham even posted on social media: "Toni's Champions League debut." But what unfolded on the Metropolitano pitch quickly turned Kinsky's dream into a nightmare.

Coach Igor Tudor decided to bench Guglielmo Vicario and give the Czech goalkeeper a chance. Before the match, he said it was "the right decision." However, everything fell apart within the first few minutes of the game.

Kinsky played for only 17 minutes. During that brief time, he made mistakes that led to two goals conceded by Tottenham. Coach Tudor was forced to substitute the young goalkeeper in the first half, a rare decision in the Champions League. As he left the field, Kinsky received applause from the Atlético Madrid fans.

Former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson said he had “never seen anything like it on a football pitch.” On social media, many compared Kinsky’s situation to Loris Karius’s after the 2018 Champions League final.

Kinsky will join Tottenham in January 2025 for a fee of nearly €17 million, amid Vicario's injury and the London club's lack of goalkeeping options. Prior to that, he came through the Dukla Prague academy before moving to Slavia Prague in 2021.

After two loan spells at Vyškov and Pardubice, Kinsky became Slavia's number one goalkeeper. Tottenham quickly signed him and signed him to a contract until 2029.

The Czech goalkeeper had an impressive debut against Liverpool in the Carabao Cup, making seven saves and keeping a clean sheet. However, after Vicario recovered from injury, he mainly played a reserve role and had few opportunities to play.

According to The Telegraph , Kinsky once wanted to leave Tottenham on loan to get more playing time. A move to West Ham was almost complete but was blocked by Tottenham.

Following the nightmare night at the Metropolitano, Kinsky is highly likely to leave Tottenham on loan next season. For the 22-year-old goalkeeper, the challenge now is to regain his confidence so that his forgettable Champions League debut doesn't become a defining moment in his career.