Redknapp lauds 'amazing' Tottenham

Harry Redknapp praised his Tottenham Hotspur FC side's great achievement in reaching the last eight at the expense of AC Milan, whose coach felt his players "couldn't have done more".

A jubilant Harry Redknapp hailed the endeavour of his Tottenham Hotspur FC players in protecting their one-goal lead from the first leg against AC Milan and earning the London side a place in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals. Redknapp, the first English manager to reach the last eight, said it is a "great achievement", while Massimiliano Allegri felt Milan did not get the rewards their performance deserved.
Harry Redknapp, Tottenham manager
It's a great night for the players and fans. It was hard work out there because they're a good side. You could see why they're a great club with great tradition who've won the Champions League. It showed tonight because they came and played.
We worked our socks off and stayed with them. It's a difficult situation because when you come home and you've got that one-goal lead you try to protect it, but at the same time, it's not like you go for broke. You're always aware that you want to hang on to that lead and it was very difficult.
I enjoyed the occasion but I couldn't say I enjoyed the 90 minutes. You're looking at the clock and wanting the 90 minutes to be up. It's a great achievement for this club to be in the last eight of the Champions League; it's amazing what the players have done. Barcelona are the team you don't want to play at the moment but whatever comes, it's great to be in the last eight.
Massimiliano Allegri, Milan coach
We just lacked that goal because the team played well in a difficult atmosphere. My players all did well but unfortunately we are out. We made mistakes in the first leg on their counterattack with just a few minutes to go. Today my players did all the things they had to do. We missed a forward like Filippo Inzaghi. There were many balls passed into the box and he would have taken advantage of them.
The team did well and I think my players couldn't have done more. We played a good game with a high tempo and good passing, but unfortunately the goal never came. Maybe we could have been more angry in a way, more aggressive, but I'm happy with my players and I'm sorry for them. At least performances like this give us more confidence.

Van der Vaart granted Tottenham-Madrid wish Published: Friday 18 March 2011, 14.43CET

"I hoped this would happen," said Tottenham Hotspur FC's Rafael van der Vaart after they were drawn against his old club Real Madrid CF, with Emilio Butragueño expecting a tricky tie.

 Rafael van der Vaart is going back to Madrid with Tottenham

Rafael van der Vaart got the UEFA Champions League quarter-final draw he wanted when Tottenham Hotspur FC were matched with his former club Real Madrid CF.
Van der Vaart and Tottenham will travel to Santiago Bernabéu on Tuesday 5 April before the White Hart Lane return eight days later. The 28-year-old Dutch international left Madrid for Spurs in the summer – and cannot wait to return.
"I was happy when the draw was made," Van der Vaart. "I had hoped this would happen because it will be fantastic to go back to Madrid. I have a lot of friends there and it will be great to see them all. It's a big game and the first leg is away which is good for us, so I'm happy.
"The Bernabéu is fantastic. It's a great pitch, the stadium holds 90,000 and it's a fantastic feeling to play there. I played there for two years and had a great time, so it's a dream to be going back. We don't have pressure, we can play our game and we have a chance I'm sure."
"It'll be a big game and we're looking forward to it," added Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp. "I like [José Mourinho] very much, he was great character when he was over here. He's an amazing manager, he's won the Champions League with Porto and Inter and he was top class at Chelsea. The favourites are the two Spanish teams. We've certainly drawn a tough game but these are the ones you've got to look forward to. It's dream tie for the players, me and the club."
Tottenham will hope to reverse their fate in the 1984/85 UEFA Cup quarter-finals, when they lost 1-0 at home and drew 0-0 in the Spanish capital against a Madrid side that went on to lift the trophy. Emilio Butragueño played in both legs for Madrid and, now the club's drector of institutional relations, he is hoping they can go on from ending their seven-year wait for a quarter-final to earn a last-four tie with FC Barcelona or FC Shakhtar Donetsk.
"We're very happy because for the last few seasons we've been unable to reach the quarter-finals," Butragueño said. "Now we are here we will do our best to get through to the semi-finals because this is the most prestigious competition in Europe and one of our main goals.
"It's going to be a fantastic tie because Tottenham have great attacking players and they know how to compete as well. I'm sure it's going to be difficult for us but I hope the team can rise to the occasion and get through."

vArsenal's Arsene Wenger & Samir Nasri To Decide On Whether To Appeal UEFA Ban Next Week

Arsenal have confirmed that a decision on whether to appeal UEFA bans for manager Arsene Wenger and midfielder Samir Nasri will be made next week.

The club expects to receive a report by the end of the week. The report details the reasoning for the one-match bans, which were given when Arsenal were knocked out of the Champions League by Barcelona.

Nasri and Wenger were charged with improper conduct for comments made to referee Massimo Busacca following the defeat at Camp Nou.

Arsenal will have three days to lodge their intent to appeal after they receive the UEFA report.

The official website for European football Ambitious Bale signs new Tottenham contract

Tottenham Hotspur FC midfielder Gareth Bale has extended his stay at White Hart Lane by agreeing a new deal that ties him to the UEFA Champions League quarter-finalists until 2015.

Gareth Bale scored a memorable hat-trick at San Siro in October

 

 

Gareth Bale has extended his stay at Tottenham Hotspur FC after signing a new four-and-a-half year contract.
The 21-year-old Welsh international, who arrived from Southampton FC in May 2007, has been rewarded for an impressive campaign in which he has helped the north Londoners reach the last eight of Europe's elite club competition. He has scored four goals in seven UEFA Champions League appearances, including a memorable hat-trick at FC Internazionale Milano on Matchday 3.
"Gareth is now one of the top left-sided players in the world, he really is an amazing talent and can only get better," said Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp. "He is a smashing lad as well which is equally as important.‬ He has got his whole future ahead and he has everything going for him."
Bale, whose side have been drawn to face Real Madrid CF in the quarter-finals, added: "It is great to commit to this club and hopefully we can achieve what we believe we can with this squad. I definitely believe we can challenge for a title very soon. That is why I have signed.
"Every year as a minimum we are aiming to qualify for the Champions League so we are definitely going in the right direction. We have proven in the Champions League this season that we can compete with the best and we are in the last eight now and there is no reason we can't go further this season and in years to come."
Tottenham take on José Mourinho's charges at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium on 5 April before hosting Madrid in the return leg eight days later.

 

Champions League quarter-final draw

The draw pitted Chelsea FC v Manchester United FC, FC Internazionale Milano v FC Schalke 04, Real Madrid CF v Tottenham Hotspur FC and FC Barcelona v FC Shakhtar Donetsk.

Holders FC Internazionale Milano will meet FC Schalke 04 in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals after Friday's draw, though the tie of the round is perhaps the all-English meeting between Chelsea FC and Manchester United FC. UEFA has announced the full fixture list.
Sir Alex Ferguson's team denied Chelsea a first European Champion Clubs' Cup in a dramatic penalty shoot-out in Moscow three years ago, and the London club will have a shot at revenge next month. While Chelsea are reigning English champions, United currently lead them by nine points in the Premier League and have history on their side in the competition having been crowned Europe's finest three times.
The Inter-Schalke encounter has fewer precedents, but having required a late goal to edge out FC Bayern München in the round of 16 the Nerazzurri will not take German opposition lightly. Older fans will need no reminder that the teams have met at the business end of a major European competition before, Schalke beating Inter in Italy in the 1997 UEFA Cup final on penalties.
Nine-time trophy winners Real Madrid CF will come up against Tottenham Hotspur FC in their first quarter-final since 2003/04, after Cristiano Ronaldo's wish that "maybe it would be better to come up against Barcelona further down the line" was granted.
The Spanish rivals could yet face off in the last four, however, as the winners of their tie will take on whichever side prevails between FC Barcelona and quarter-final debutants FC Shakhtar Donetsk.
Quarter-final draw (5/6 and 12/13 April)
Real Madrid CF (ESP) v Tottenham Hotspur FC (ENG)
Chelsea FC (ENG) v Manchester United FC (ENG)
FC Barcelona (ESP) v FC Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR)
FC Internazionale Milano (ITA) v FC Schalke 04 (GER)
Semi-final draw (26/27 April and 3/4 May)
1: Inter/Schalke v Chelsea /Manchester United
2: Madrid/Tottenham v Barcelona/Shakhtar
Final (28 May, Wembley)
Winner semi-final 2 v Winner semi-final 1