Tottenham goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky promises to bounce back after a difficult UCL debut against Atletico Madrid that saw him substituted after 17 minutes.
Antonín Kinský has promised to recover from a difficult Champions League debut after a challenging night for Tottenham Hotspur against Atlético Madrid.
The 22-year-old goalkeeper was substituted just 17 minutes into Tottenham’s 5-2 defeat in the first leg of their Champions League round-of-16 clash. Interim manager Igor Tudor had surprisingly selected Kinsky ahead of regular first-choice keeper Guglielmo Vicario.
However, the decision quickly backfired as Kinsky made two costly mistakes early in the match. The Czech goalkeeper slipped while attempting to clear the ball, allowing Marcos Llorente to score the opening goal for Atlético.
Moments later, another mishit clearance from Kinsky gifted Julián Álvarez a simple finish. In between those incidents, Tottenham’s defensive problems continued when Micky van de Ven slipped, allowing Antoine Griezmann to add a second goal for the hosts.
After the difficult start, Tudor decided to replace Kinsky with Vicario before the first half had even reached the 20-minute mark. Despite the setback, the young goalkeeper remained optimistic about his future.
Posting on social media after the match, Kinsky described the experience as a journey “from dream to nightmare,” while promising that he would recover and come back stronger.
Former Manchester United and Denmark goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel criticised the decision to substitute him so early, suggesting it could damage the player’s confidence. However, Tottenham defender Kevin Danso backed his teammate, insisting the squad would support Kinsky and that the young goalkeeper has the quality to bounce back from the setback.
Kinky has also received messages from top goalkeepers around the world with David De Gea also posting in his X handle about the situation.
No one who hasn’t been a goalkeeper can understand how difficult it is to play in this position.
Keep your head up and you will go again.
— David de Gea (@D_DeGea) March 10, 2026
Real Madrid keeper, Thibaut Courtois also mentioned that he sent Kinsky a message of encouragement, stating that Atletico Madrid’s pitch can cause problems for any goalkeeper.
