I've seen some bad starts in my 20 years covering sports, but what happened to Tottenham Hotspur last night might take the cake.

Three goals in 17 minutes. Goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky pulled before the 20-minute mark. A Champions League knockout round turned into a 4-0 demolition by Atletico Madrid.

This wasn't just a loss. This was a meltdown.

Let's set the scene: Madrid, Champions League Round of 16, Tottenham looking to prove they belong among Europe's elite. And then the wheels came off immediately.

Goal at 4 minutes. Goal at 12 minutes. Goal at 17 minutes. Atletico was running riot, and Kinsky, the 22-year-old keeper, looked completely overwhelmed. Manager Ange Postecoglou had seen enough. He yanked Kinsky and brought in veteran Guglielmo Vicario.

When you pull your goalkeeper in the 17th minute of a Champions League knockout game, you know you're having a disaster of historic proportions.

Let's look at Kinsky's Champions League career stats, because they're brutal: <ul> <li>16 minutes played</li> <li>3 goals conceded</li> <li>2 errors leading directly to goals</li> <li>0 saves</li> </ul>

Zero saves. Three goals. Two errors. And a substitution before the first water break.

Look, I don't want to pile on a 22-year-old kid who's probably having the worst night of his career. But this is the Champions League. This is the biggest stage in club football. And Tottenham got absolutely embarrassed.