Harry Redknapp has revealed how Tottenham missed out on the signature of Eden Hazard before he joined Chelsea in 2012.
Spurs were leading the race for the then Lille attacker, but he told them that he would only join if they finished in a Champions League place.
Chelsea joined the race for his signature and although they had a terrible campaign in the league, the Blues won the UCL.
This helped them to win the race for his signature while Spurs missed out on qualification for the competition.
Because Chelsea won the competition and finished outside the top four, Spurs’ fourth-place finish wasn’t enough to get them a spot in Europe’s premier club competition.
Redknapp said on Sky Sports as quoted by Sun Sports: “I lost Eden Hazard, he wanted to come to Tottenham but he said he would only come if we got Champions League football.
“We finished fourth that year, Chelsea finished sixth, they won the Champions League and we didn’t make it.
“He ended up going to Chelsea.”
The Lilywhites then had no choice but to watch Hazard tear defences apart for eight years at Chelsea before he moved to Real Madrid two seasons ago.
If he had joined, he would have partnered Gareth Bale in an attack that could have helped Spurs to start winning trophies.
So basically we failed to get Hazard because of Him that says all.
Even older news.. Roman Abromovich attempted to buy us before the Chavs…. If only..
Cmon man toughen up, you’re a Spurs fan.
Harry Rednkapp has revealed this story about 100 times. What self-respecting manager would constantly bang on about the world class player he nearly signed. This is up there with the ‘Rivaldo wrote me a lovely letter’
I meant to say above on penalties against a GERMAN team. Mind you, things have always been a little different between England and Germany at club level with Hamburg in one Champions cup final against Notts Forest and Bayern in three finals outplaying their English opposition but losing.
Seduced by the “Harry for England” stuff, Harry took his eye off the ball and we faded finishing fourth when we had seemed nailed on for top three at least. We botched it and I felt Karma was coming round to punish us for our shortcomings in the form of Chelsea in the CL final. I felt sure they’d win. I phoned my godmother, a lifelong Spurs fan, just before extra time and assured her Chelsea would win, perhaps even on penalties. Yes, on penalties to really stiff us for being so profligate in the league!
When the match went to penalties, I didn’t want to watch, so sure was I feeling that Chelsea would win. I switched the TV off and put it on again several minutes later just to confirm the worst that they had indeed won and no Champions League for us!
I’m not sure I can take much more of the sadness