Spurs progress delights Redknapp

Last updated : 10 March 2011 By BBC Sport

Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp hailed his side's achievement in reaching the last eight of the Champions League.Spurs drew 0-0 with AC Milan at home on Wednesday as they held on to their 1-0 first leg advantage against the Serie A leaders to secure their progress.

"This is an impossible dream that we have achieved so far," said Redknapp.

"Two years ago if you would have said that we would have made it to the quarter-finals of the Champions League, I would have thought you were crazy."

Tottenham had finished top of a group including holders Inter Milan to reach the knock-out stages.

"It's our first year in the club's history we have ever made Champions League football, so that was a fantastic achievement to have won our group and to do what we have done against AC Milan," added 64-year-old Redknapp.

"We have beaten AC Milan over two legs with two clean sheets and won our group, which was the hardest of the lot."

Milan had 58% of possession in the second leg at White Hart Lane and had 16 attempts on goal, with three on target, as they tried to engineer a breakthrough.

The closest they came was when Spurs keeper Heurelho Gomes was caught out of his goal and the Italian side's striker Robinho had an effort glance off Benoit Assou-Ekotto before being cleared off the goal-line by William Gallas.

"It was always going to be nervy night," said Redknapp, who became the first English manager to lead a side into the quarter-finals of European football's top competition in its guise as the Champions League since 1992.

"If you think you are going to smash AC Milan out of sight then obviously you haven't been watching football over the last few years.

"Sandro was immense in midfield, for a young lad with limited experience of the Champions League.

"We defended for our lives and the keeper did well for us too."

I am not getting too carried away. I'm just looking forward to getting home, having a cup of tea and a bacon sandwich and taking the dogs out

Harry Redknapp

Redknapp had watched Barcelona impressively knock Tottenham's north London rivals Arsenal out on Tuesday and the Spurs boss believes they are the team to beat in this year's competition as he looked forward to the next round.

"I don't know how far we can go," said Redknapp. "I thought it was an amazing performance from Barcelona to beat a team who are probably the best passing team in league.

"To make them look so ordinary was amazing. It will be difficult for anyone to beat Barcelona. They are an amazing team, but who knows.

"We are in the last eight and we have done well to get where we are. We want to stay in this competition and go as far as we can."

However, Redknapp insisted he would not be letting his side's success go to their heads.

"I am not getting too carried away," he added. "I'm just looking forward to getting home tonight [Wednesday] and having a cup of tea and a bacon sandwich and taking the dogs out.

"It's a great night for Tottenham but we are not going to celebrate. The players are coming in for a warm down tomorrow [Thursday] and they are not going to have much time to celebrate."

Milan have been knocked out of the Champions League by an English side in three of the last four seasons since winning the competition in 2007.

"This year something should have changed because I think we have played some good football apart from the first half of the first leg," said Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri.

"I feel bitter, I have regrets for myself, the players and the club... over the course of the two games I think we deserved a little more."

Source: BBC Sport

Source: BBC Sport