As Spurs prepare to take on Azerbaijan champions Qarabag on Thursday night, it will be their ninth Europa League campaign in 10 outings.
The anomaly, is a glorious reminder of the thrill and excitement of being in Europe’s premier club competition.
Tottenham entered the 21st century much like how the ended the 20th; a struggling mid-table side failing to recreate memories of glories past. They were very much a run-of-the-mill Premier League side, just surviving in England’s top flight without ever threatening to cause a fuss at the top end of the table.
Then Martin Jol came along in 2004, thrust into the job after the sudden departure of Jacques Santini and two seasons later, returned European football to White Hart Lane. It was a long absence and I can vividly remember the match against Bolton which confirmed it. Once the final whistle went, there was sheer adulation in the stands, with people so eager to see Spurs’ European ventures once again.
Nowadays, the Europa League is seen more of a distraction than a chance of a major trophy, which doesn’t help, given the fact that in 2010, Spurs had achieved a way into the promised land of Champions League football and ever since then, they’ve been hopelessly and desperately reaching out for it, only to lose their grip at the last second.
But for one magical moment, that will always be etched on the face of everyone who was there; Spurs took on the Champions League champions and beat them so convincingly.
Jose Mourinho had taken Inter Milan to a historic treble, becoming just the sixth European club in history to do so and the first ever Italian side. With Mourinho off to Real Madrid, it was their current boss Rafael Benitez who took over the reins when they travelled to N17 on a cold Tuesday night. I remember travelling to Northumberland Park, wrapped up in my warm coat and scarf with my dad, neither of us knowing what to say, what to feel or what could possibly happen that night.
It was an apprehensive, but passionate White Hart Lane that greeted the Italian giants, who in turn, filled out the bottom half of the Park Lane stand to the rafters. No one was confident enough to predict a win, but it was a night where just anything might be possible.
Even an upset against the Champions League holders.
Tottenham had faced Inter Milan earlier in the group and with Heurelho Gomes sent off, faced the prospect of a 4-0 defeat; that was until Gareth Bale took matters into his own hands and sensationally scored three goals, two of them in the dying minutes of the match, to escape from San Siro with just the one goal deficit.
Having been written off as a left back out of his depth and the infamous 25 match winless run when he was in the side, Bale transformed under Harry Redknapp into a left winger with serious potential, free from the defensive responsibilities imposed on him. He was dynamic, strong and with goals against Arsenal and Chelsea at the back end of the 2009/10 campaign, his stock was fast-improving.
Against Inter Milan at White Hart Lane, he firmly introduced himself to the football world.
About 20 minutes in, a wonderful Luka Modric shimmy gave way to Rafael Van der Vaart, who as calm and smooth as only Spurs fans can truly appreciate him to be, put Spurs 1-0 up, to the sheer joy of three quarters of the stadium.
Bale, on the many of his runs, left Maicon for dead and his wonderful cross should have resulted in Peter Crouch doubling Spurs’ advantage. But his volley was skewed wide to the frustration of everyone in the stadium.
A 1-0 half-time lead was celebrated, but as is the life of a pessimistic Tottenham fan, we didn’t believe in ourselves to see the second half through. How absolutely wrong we were.
Bale, picking the ball up just inside his own half, must have ran a good 60 yards, before a wonderful cross gave way to Crouch, who made amends with a sliding finish beyond the outstretched hand of Luca Castellazzi. Tottenham. 2-0 up against the Champions League holders.
This cannot be happening.
But what everyone remembers from that night is how Gareth Bale gave arguably the best right back in the world in the form of Maicon, the complete run-around. Time after time, run after lung-bursting run. It was as comical, as it was unbelievable.
A typical Bale run, ended in him skinning Maicon near the touchline and laying the ball off to Crouch through a crowd of bodies, who thought he’d put Spurs three up. The linesman, spotting that Bale had run the ball out of play before pulling it back, made sure that wasn’t the case.
And then came what threatened to burst the bubble.
Samuel Eto’o cut in from the left-hand side beyond Alan Hutton and in turn unleashed a fierce shot beyond Carlo Cudicini ten minutes from time.
Oh no.
Please no.
Please don’t let it slip. Not now. Please.
Step forward Gareth Bale. Or more rather, sprint.
It was an astonishing run. An absolutely phenomenal run, to knock the ball past Lucio and then make up the ground ahead of him, to send the ball through to Roman Pavlyuchenko to tap home and put the result beyond doubt. Ol’ Pav didn’t have too many bright moments in a Spurs shirt, but undoubtedly that was one of his very best.
And that was that. Game over. Tottenham had produced one of the most exhilarating, electrifying performances of recent memory. To this day, you will be hard-pressed to find a game that would eclipse that.
Once a mid-table Tottenham team, now a Tottenham team that showed full well they had what it took to mix it with the big boys. And Bale, well, he’s there week in, week out most likely until the end of his career.
But just for one moment, for just one match, a young Welshman, unproven to some regard, took on the giants of Italian football almost single-handedly and won.
And some say to this day, if the breeze is quiet and if you listen close enough, you can still hear the cries of “Taxi for Maicon” echoing all around Bill Nicholson Way.
