English clubs hoping to make history

As the European club competitions move into their penultimate round this coming week, English clubs are hoping to set a new record.

Never before in the long history of the competitions have four clubs from the same country competed in two European cup finals in the same year.

The first time two clubs from the same country participated in the Champions League (then the European Cup) was in the 1956/7 season and, 15 years later, the Europa League (then the Uefa Cup) followed suit.

Germany, Italy and Spain have previously managed to provide three of the four finalists in one season, but never has a country managed a full-house.Tottenham Hotspur gets the ball rolling with their Champions League semi-final against Ajax Amsterdam on Tuesday.

And if Spurs’ participation in the round of the last four after knocking out Manchester City is considered a surprise, their opponents’ progress to the semi-finals must be close to a miracle.

After losing to Real Madrid at home in the round of the last 16, the young Dutch side turned the tables in the Bernabéu Stadium, though the 4-1 scoreline would suggest that it was certainly not a gentle turning of tables, but more like a thumping.

In the quarter-finals, they did the same Z winning away from home at Juventus to advance.

It is their first appearance in the semi-finals of the competition since 1997. Tottenham fans need to go back even further to the 1961/2 season for the last time their club was among the last four of Europe’s top club competition.

Spurs will be without top strikers, Harry Kane and Son Heung-min, with the latter missing the first leg due to a suspension. “Of course, I’ll try to be positive, but missing this semi-final makes me so sad,” the South Korean said.

“I’m so disappointed. I’ll probably be more nervous watching in the stands than when I play. But I trust my team, I trust my players and I trust this stadium, so I’m not worried about it.”

Bookmakers have made Spurs the favourite, but Ajax star, Donny van de Beek will have none of that. “I don’t agree with that.

“Tottenham is one of the top teams in the Premier League and they are still my favourite.

“That does not mean that we cannot beat them. We will have to reach a high level to beat Tottenham. It will depend on our own form. Let’s hope it is top,” the midfielder said.

A day later, it is Liverpool’s chance to put England on the football map as they travel to Camp Nou for their clash against Barcelona, with Jürgen Klopp believing his side are the underdogs.

Read: Madrid: The curse, the gods and the Champions League final

“The cool thing about Barcelona is that you’re never a favourite. To deal with the role, perhaps to do things differently than others, that is appealing.”

On Thursday, Arsenal and Chelsea take on Valencia and Eintracht Frankfurt in the semi-finals of the Europa League, respectively.

Arsenal, who lost their two last matches in the Premier League ahead of today’s clash at Leicester City, have seen their Champions League aspirations take a nose-dive and will be looking at the Europa League as a safety net as the winner gets a free pass into the group stage of the lucrative Champions League.

They host Valencia in the first leg and, like the Gunners, Los Ches are anything but guaranteed a place in the Champions League based on their league position.

Arsenal coach, Unai Emery said they were very disappointed to have lost to Crystal Palace and Wolves. “But we need to continue. We have two competitions left, that is, the Premier League and the Europa League. Those are two ways to go to the Champions League, which is our objective.

“We need to continue to be strong in our mentality and strong in our confidence,” he said.

Chelsea is the club that has benefited from Arsenal’s slump in form and has moved up to fourth in the Premier League table, which gives them some sort of cushion Z albeit a tiny one Z ahead of their match against Eintracht Frankfurt.

The Bundesliga side though, are no push-overs, as their victories against Inter Milan and Benfica Lisbon in the previous rounds show.

As the last remaining Bundesliga club standing in Europe, they have German hopes resting on their shoulders and Chelsea, who are away in the first leg, will have their work cut out for them.