Terry 'deserves' final place, says Mourinho

Terry 'deserves' final place, says Mourinho - The Champions League "owes something" to Chelsea captain John Terry due to the previous disappointments that he has endured in the competition, according to manager Jose Mourinho.

Terry, 33, has been passed fit to play in the second leg of Chelsea's semi-final at home to Atletico Madrid on Wednesday after limping off with an ankle injury in last week's first leg, which ended in a 0-0 draw.

Mourinho initially ruled Terry out until at least the final, which takes place in Lisbon on May 24, but his return to fitness suggests that his luck in the tournament may be beginning to turn.

Terry 'deserves' final place, says Mourinho

Terry could have given Chelsea their first ever Champions League trophy in the 2008 final against Manchester United in Moscow, only to slip as he took a spot-kick in the penalty shootout, sending the ball wide.

A subsequent failed attempt by Nicolas Anelka gave United the trophy and although Chelsea prevailed on penalties in the final against Bayern Munich four years later, Terry did not play due to suspension.

He was also banned for last season's Europa League final success against Benfica, although, as he had done in 2012, he received the trophy in his full kit alongside his teammates.

Results of the Champions League semi-final match on Tuesday (AFP Photo/)

"I think the Champions League owes him something," Mourinho said during Tuesday's pre-match press conference.

"I think he deserves more than the Champions League has given to him till now. He lost a few semi-finals in special circumstances. He lost the final also in special circumstances.

"He won a final, also in special circumstances, because he couldn't play the final."

- No England U-turn -

Terry seemed to be getting eased out at Stamford Bridge under former interim manager Rafael Benitez, but he has been rejuvenated since Mourinho's return last year, marshalling the meanest defence in the Premier League.

Atletico Madrid's David Villa (R) trains at Stamford Bridge in London on April 29, 2014, on the eve of the team's Champions League semi-final second-leg match against Chelsea (AFP Photo/Glyn Kirk)

"My captain is playing at the same level as when I left Chelsea in 2007-08," Mourinho added.

"Six or seven years later, he is playing at his best level. It's fair to say that. It's also fair to say that the people that surround him are playing also fantastic.

"I think his partnership with (Gary) Cahill is fantastic and people that work together in the same areas, they are doing a fantastic job.

"I'm really happy to see a player like him, six or seven years later, to be back to the same level."

Terry's displays have prompted calls for him to return to the England fold, 19 months after he retired from international football following the Football Association's decision to strip him of the captaincy over allegations he had racially abused Queens Park Rangers' Anton Ferdinand.

However, despite the apparent lure of a potential place in manager Roy Hodgson's squad for this year's World Cup in Brazil, Terry said that he had no intention of reversing his decision.

"For me, 100 percent, I'm going to be on my holidays in the summer, I'm going to be nowhere else," he said.

"I've made that very clear. My thoughts are very strong on that. Maybe people don't realise how strong. I certainly wish the England side and Roy the very best." ( AFP )

READ MORE - Terry 'deserves' final place, says Mourinho

Italy a threat despite ageing players, mavericks

Italy a threat despite ageing players, mavericks - Italy's two most influential players have a combined age of over 70, their most prolific striker is battling injury, and other key players are prone to wild swings in temperament.

Meanwhile, an unproductive youth system is struggling to replenish the talent pool and, despite his best efforts to promote younger players, coach Cesare Prandelli, 56, could end up fielding a starting XI with an average age of around 30.

Italy's national soccer players line-up for a team photo before their World Cup Group B qualifying match against Denmark in Copenhagen October 11, 2013. REUTERS/Scanpix/Liselotte Sabroe

Domestic soccer is in seemingly perpetual decline, many stadiums are in a dilapidated state, match-fixing continues to raise its ugly head, and the world's top players have gone elsewhere.

Yet for all of Italian soccer's problems, the four-times world champions remain a World Cup threat, and there is a sneaking suspicion that Prandelli, one of the game's most likeable and eloquent coaches, will somehow come up with the right formula when it matters.

His first task is to steer them through a tough-looking first-round group against Uruguay, England and Costa Rica and make sure they do not suffer a repeat of their elimination at the first hurdle in South Africa in 2010, when they went home early following draws with Paraguay and New Zealand and a defeat to Slovakia.

In nearly four years since then, he has restored Italy's credibility and largely succeeded in removing the histrionics and negativity from their game.

Against the odds he led them to the final of Euro 2012 and they nearly upset Spain in the Confederations Cup semi-final last year before losing on penalties.

Helped by a code of ethics which he has applied implacably and led to Daniele De Rossi, Mario Balotelli and Dani Osvaldo being dropped at various stages, he has shown an uncanny knack for dealing with problem players.

Italy certainly have plenty of those. 

Balotelli, who seems almost certain to lead the attack, has managed to curb the worst excesses he showed at Manchester City since joining AC Milan just over one year ago, but is still prone to mood swings and often acts as if he is carrying the world on his shoulders.

Argentina-born Osvaldo, who scored four goals in the qualifiers, has left a trail of training ground rows and other controversies behind him in his turbulent career.

De Rossi, a superb all-round midfielder, also has a wild side which has earned him a hatful of red cards during his career for AS Roma and Italy.

OLD FAITHFULS 

Italy fielded 40 players in the World Cup qualifiers as Prandelli searched for some younger blood, yet his side in Brazil is likely to feature plenty of old faithfuls.

Gianluigi Buffon, 36, remains the undisputed first-choice goalkeeper and is set to play at his fourth World Cup while Andrea Pirlo, who will be 35, is still pulling the strings in midfield.

Pirlo, who like Buffon was in the 2006 World Cup-winning team, has helped Juventus dominate Serie A over the last three seasons and remains one of the world's great free-kick specialists.

Despite their age, both players would be welcome in almost any other national team.

Other regulars in the qualifying campaign, such as Andrea Barzagli, Giorgio Chiellini, Riccardo Montolivo and De Rossi, are all approaching or past their 30th birthdays.

Balotelli should lead the attack, although the second striker, if there is one, is one of many cards that Prandelli is keeping close to his chest.

Fiorentina's Giuseppe Rossi would be the obvious choice but the U.S.-born striker, who missed Euro 2012, is recovering from a new knee injury and may miss his second major tournament in a row.

He was Serie A's leading scorer with 14 goals and had been enjoying a superb comeback season until he was struck down again in January.

On the plus side, forwards Mattia Destro, Luca Toni, Ciro Immobile, Alberto Gilardino, Domenico Berardi and Alessio Cerci have all been scoring goals regularly this season, giving Prandelli plenty of alternatives should Balotelli and Osvaldo stray out of line.

Italy do not have a set formation but tend to tailor according to whom they are facing. They play a modern, dynamic game, with pressing and quick attacks. 

The youth system has shown some signs of life recently with the emergence of players such as midfielder Marco Verratti and Destro.

It could also be argued that the decline of Serie A is a blessing as it has given more chances for Italian players to play regular first-team soccer.

Italy emerged unbeaten from a tricky qualifying group which included Bulgaria, Denmark and Czech Republic.

They were also unbeaten in Euro 2012 qualifying and since Prandelli took over they have lost only two out of 31 competitive matches - the Euro 2012 final to Spain and a Confederations Cup group match against Brazil.

Prandelli has removed the chip from Italy's shoulder and has insisted there is no going back to the old ways of sitting back in defense and provoking the opposition.

For once, they may even have the neutrals on their side. ( Reuters )

READ MORE - Italy a threat despite ageing players, mavericks

Balotelli reference in missing plane drama draws scorn

Balotelli reference in missing plane drama draws scorn - A Malaysian aviation official came under fire on social media Tuesday for evoking black Italian footballer Mario Balotelli when discussing two passengers who boarded a missing jet with stolen European passports.

Civil aviation chief Azharuddin Abdul Rahman had been asked to confirm another official's assertion that the two men who boarded missing Malaysia Airlines flight 370 looked "Asian".

Mario Balotelli, pictured during a Serie A match in Reggio Emilia, on January 12, 2014 (AFP Photo/Maurizio Parenti)             

The plane vanished early Saturday with 239 people aboard while en route from Malaysia to China.

Azharuddin denied they looked Asian, but he sought to emphasise that skin colour does not indicate nationality by using a reference to Balotelli -- a Ghanaian-born striker with AC Milan and Italian international.

"Do you know a footballer by the name of Bartoli (sic)? He's an Italian. Do you know what he looks like? Balotelli," he told reporters late on Monday. 

"I don't want to dwell about this but they (nationality and race) are not the same thing."

Malaysian officials later clarified that there was no suggestion either of the suspect passengers was black, but Twitter users commented that Azharuddin's strained comparison had not helped matters.

One said: "Nice work in looking for the least obvious cause for an airplane crash." 

"The case of the missing airplane, somehow, just got weirder," another said.

An extensive sea and land search has turned up no wreckage so far. The plane was flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing when it went missing, apparently over waters between Malaysia and Vietnam.

Malaysian authorities, who say they have CCTV footage of the stolen-passport users, have come under increasing pressure from victims' families who have complained of a slow response and inadequate information.

One of the stolen passports was Italian, the other Austrian. The revelation has raised fears of a hijack or terror motive behind the plane's disappearance.

"Yes, I think the Balotelli profile referring to the two phantom passengers is insensitive," another user posted.

"And you wonder why Balotelli wears 'why always me?'" another one posted, referring to a T-shirt worn once by the controversial footballer after one of his many brushes with authority. (AFP)

READ MORE - Balotelli reference in missing plane drama draws scorn

5 things to know before Europa League matches

5 things to know before Europa League matches — The second leg of fixtures in the last 32 of the Europa League take place Thursday with the potential for some big names to be knocked out of the competition.

Lazio lost 1-0 at home to Bulgarian side Ludogorets, Tottenham was beaten by the same score away to Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk and Ajax was trounced 3-0 at home by Salzburg.

The ties involving Napoli and Sevilla also delicately balanced.

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Sevilla's Vicente Iborra, left, and teammate Federico Fazio celebrate their goal during the Europa League round of 32, first leg soccer match against Maribor in Maribor, Slovenia, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2014. (AP Photo/Filip Horvat)

Jonatan Soriano, left and Alan of FC Salzburg celebrate the first goal by way of a penalty, during the Europa League round of 32 first leg soccer match between Ajax and FC Salzburg at the ArenA stadium in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2014. (AP Photo/Patrick Post)

ENGLISH TEAMS NEED GOALS

Swansea did well to hold Napoli to a 0-0 draw at home but will need to work even harder to find a way past the Italians' defense at the Sao Paolo.

Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba, of France, celebrates after scoring with teammates Andrea Pirlo, right, and Carlos Tevez, center, during the Europa League, round of 16th, soccer match between Juventus and Trabzonspor at the Juventus stadium, in Turin, Italy, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2014. (AP Photo/Massimo Pinca)

"In Italy it will be very difficult and I'm sure it will be an intimidating atmosphere," defender Angel Rangel said. "We have to believe in ourselves because what we achieved last week in the first leg was a big achievement."

Despite losing 4-3 to Liverpool on Sunday, scoring three times at Anfield in another impressive display should help to build Swansea's confidence. Tottenham, which lost 1-0 to Norwich, will rely on home advantage to help it overturn the 1-0 deficit against Dnipro.

The winner of that tie could play Benfica, last year's runner-up.

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FOUR ITALIAN TEAMS IN ACTION

Eintracht Frankfurt's Carlos Zambrano, left, challenges FC Porto's Hector Herrera, right, during their Europa League round of 32, first leg soccer match at the Dragao stadium, in Porto, Portugal, Thursday Feb. 20, 2014. The match ended in a 2-2 draw.(AP Photo/Paulo Duarte)

Aside from Napoli, Italy also has Serie A leader Juventus, Lazio and Fiorentina in action on Thursday. Lazio trails Ludogorets by an away goal but Fiorentina and Juventus look more assured.

Fiorentina hit three first-half goals against Esbjerg in Denmark to win 3-1 and take control of that tie. In Turin, Juventus beat Trabzonspor 2-0 but coach Antonio Conte is aware of how tough the away trip to Turkey for the return leg could be.

"We'll need to score as soon as possible because we'll be playing in a heated atmosphere and qualification isn't yet in the bag," Conte said.

Should Juventus and Fiorentina come out of their games victorious, they will meet in the last 16.

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AJAX READY TO RESPOND?

The 3-0 home loss to Salzburg was the shock result of last week's matches, but Ajax responded by thrashing fellow Europa League side AZ Alkmaar 4-0 in the Dutch league at the weekend, with coach Frank de Boer saying "We redeemed ourselves."

The four-time European champion conceded all three goals before halftime in the first leg.

Alkmaar takes on Slovan Liberec, where it has a 1-0 lead and an away goal, thanks to a winner in the 89th minute from Nick Viergever.

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PORTO IN DANGER, BENFICA IN COMMAND

Surrendering a winning position at home is not normally associated with Porto, but it was stunned in the home leg of its tie with Eintracht Frankfurt last week. It led 2-0, but conceded twice in five minutes as Eintracht pulled level. The Portuguese side then lost 1-0 at home to Estoril in the league, its first domestic defeat at the Dragao stadium in five years.

Portuguese league leader Benfica has a 1-0 lead ahead of its home game with PAOK.

"Benfica is an experienced team in these competitions," coach Jorge Jesus said. "We won the first half of this round; now we have to think about the second."

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SPANISH TRIO HAVE TOUGH TIES

Valencia recorded an impressive 2-0 away win against Dynamo Kyiv 2-0 with two goals in the last 11 minutes. It followed that result by beating Granada 2-1 at the Mestalla, and will be favorite to make the last 16, where it will play either Lazio or Ludogorets.

Sevilla drew 2-2 at Slovenian club Maribor but will be hoping that home advantage, along with two away goals, can help it progress.

Real Betis, bottom of La Liga and 10 points from safety, travels to Russia to face Rubin Kazan after a 1-1 draw in the first leg. Should Betis and Sevilla both progress, they will meet in an all-Spanish tie in the last 16. ( Associated Press )

READ MORE - 5 things to know before Europa League matches

The FIFA Ballon d'Or Gala

Messi finished second to Ronaldo, with Franck Ribery finishing in third place among the finalists. All three were on hand in Switzerland when Pele announced the winner. According to FIFA, 184 national team coaches, 184 national team captains and 173 media representatives voted for the 2013 Ballon d’Or. After hearing his name called by the Brazilian soccer icon, Ronaldo took the stage, where he was soon joined by his son, Cristiano Ronaldo Jr. With tears in his eyes and emotion in his voice, Ronaldo could not hide how much the honor meant to him.

CLICK HERE for complete voting results

"Everybody that has been involved with me on a personal level I have to thank. My wife, my friends, my son," Ronaldo said, via The Telegraph. "It is a tremendously emotional moment. All I can say is thank you to everybody that has been involved."

Real Madrid's world player Christiano Ronaldo of Portugal, center, FIFA President Joseph Blatter and Ronaldo's son Ronaldo Junior stand together at the FIFA Ballon d'Or 2013 Gala in Zurich, Switzerland, Monday, Jan. 13, 2014. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)

After taking home his sport's top individual prize, Ronaldo thanked his fans and shared a highlight video that served as a reminder for why he was taking home the coveted trophy. ( Source : huffingtonpost )

*******

Winners of the FIFA Golden Ball as world player of the year (award known as FIFA player of the year from 1991-09 before merging with the magazine France Football's Golden Ball award for European player of the year):

1. 2013 — Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal
2. 2012 — Lionel Messi, Argentina
3. 2011 — Lionel Messi, Argentina
4. 2010 — Lionel Messi, Argentina
5. 2009 — Lionel Messi, Argentina
6. 2008 — Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal
7. 2007 — Kaka, Brazil
8. 2006 — Fabio Cannavaro, Italy
9. 2005 — Ronaldinho, Brazil
10. 2004 — Ronaldinho, Brazil
11. 2003 — Zinedine Zidane, France
12. 2002 — Ronaldo, Brazil
13. 2001 — Luis Figo, Portugal
14. 2000 — Zinedine Zidane, France
15. 1999 — Rivaldo, Brazil
16. 1998 — Zinedine Zidane, France
17. 1997 — Ronaldo, Brazil
18. 1996 — Ronaldo, Brazil
19. 1995 — George Weah, Liberia
20. 1994 — Romario, Brazil
21. 1993 — Roberto Baggio, Italy
22. 1992 — Marco Van Basten, Netherlands
23. 1991 — Lothar Matthaus, Germany
24. 2009 — Lionel Messi, Barcelona
25. 2008 — Cristiano Ronaldo, Manchester United
26. 2007 — Kaka, AC Milan
27. 2006 — Fabio Cannavaro, Real Madrid
28. 2005 — Ronaldinho, Barcelona
29. 2004 — Andriy Shevchenko, AC Milan
30. 2003 — Pavel Nedved, Juventus
31. 2002 — Ronaldo, Real Madrid
32. 2001 — Michael Owen, Liverpool
33. 2000 — Luis Figo, Real Madrid
34. 1999 — Rivaldo, Barcelona
35. 1998 — Zinedine Zidane, Juventus
36. 1997 — Ronaldo, Inter Milan
37. 1996 — Matthias Sammer, Borussia Dortmund
38. 1995 — George Weah, AC Milan
39. 1994 — Hristo Stoichkov, Barcelona
40. 1993 — Roberto Baggio, Juventus
41. 1992 — Marco Van Basten, AC Milan
42. 1991 — Jean-Pierre Papin, Marseille
43. 1990 — Lothar Matthaus, Inter Milan
44. 1989 — Marco Van Basten, AC Milan
45. 1988 — Marco Van Basten, AC Milan
46. 1987 — Ruud Gullit, AC Milan
47. 1986 — Igor Belanov, Dynamo Kiev
48. 1985 — Michel Platini, Juventus
49. 1984 — Michel Platini, Juventus
50. 1983 — Michel Platini, Juventus
51. 1982 — Paolo Rossi, Juventus
52. 1981 — Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Bayern Munich
53. 1980 — Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Bayern Munich
54. 1979 — Kevin Keegan, Hamburg SV
55. 1978 — Kevin Keegan, Hamburg SV
56. 1977 — Allan Simonsen, Borussia Moenchengladbach
57. 1976 — Franz Beckenbauer, Bayern Munich
58. 1975 — Oleg Blokhin, Dynamo Kiev
59. 1974 — Johan Cruyff, Barcelona
60. 1973 — Johan Cruyff, Barcelona
61. 1972 — Franz Beckenbauer, Bayern Munich
62. 1971 — Johan Cruyff, Ajax
63. 1970 — Gerd Muller, Bayern Munich
64. 1969 — Gianni Rivera, AC Milan
65. 1968 — George Best, Manchester United
66. 1967 — Florian Albert, Ferencvaros
67. 1966 — Bobby Charlton, Manchester United
68. 1965 — Eusebio, Benfica
69. 1964 — Denis Law, Manchester United
70. 1963 — Lev Yashin, Dynamo Moscow
71. 1962 — Josef Masopust, Dukla Prague
72. 1961 — Omar Sivori, Juventus
73. 1960 — Luis Suarez, Barcelona
74. 1959 — Alfredo Di Stefano, Real Madrid
75. 1958 — Raymond Kopa, Real Madrid
76. 1957 — Alfredo Di Stefano, Real Madrid
77. 1956 — Stanley Matthews, Blackpool

READ MORE - The FIFA Ballon d'Or Gala

Soccer-Balotelli blast has Italy dreaming in Malta

Soccer-Balotelli blast has Italy dreaming in Malta - Italy head into Tuesday's World Cup qualifier in Malta buoyed by a stirring comeback in a 2-2 draw with Brazil and the growing belief that Mario Balotelli is finally maturing into a world class international striker.

The 22-year-old, who has courted controversy on and off the field, netted a majestic strike in Thursday's friendly in Geneva when his all-round play helped Italy battle back from 2-0 down.

He showed flashes of his brilliance at Euro 2012 with a brace in the semi-final win over Germany, but otherwise flattered to deceive and was nowhere when Spain steamrollered Cesare Prandelli's men in the final.
 

Such erratic performances had been common for the Azzurri during unpredictable spells at Inter Milan and Manchester City but now he looks settled and is first choice at boyhood heroes AC Milan. Prandelli hopes such stability will pay dividends.

"He has the potential to be among the best five (players) in the world but to do that he needs a lot of continuity, as he is having at the moment," Prandelli told reporters.

Italy top World Cup qualifying Group B with 10 points from four matches, a point above Bulgaria who battered Malta 6-0 at home on Friday to leave the island nation bottom on no points.

Malta's woes means Italy should have no trouble sealing victory, especially given the bond developing between Balotelli and Italy and Milan team mate Stephan El Shaarawy.

"I'm happy he's growing up, as a player and as a man. We are together practically all the time, I see him a lot more mature," said the 20-year-old with Egyptian heritage and a mohican.

TACTICAL DISCIPLINE
El Shaarawy is likely to operate on the left of main striker Balotelli, just like he does for Milan.

Prandelli's continued snub of Antonio Cassano despite the mercurial forward being a linchpin at Euro 2012 means the third component of his preferred three-man attack is a mystery with Emanuele Giaccherini starting in the hole against Brazil.

Alessio Cerci then came on for his debut and impressed on the right hand side of the attack and may now start.

Whoever plays, Prandelli is being ultra-cautious.

"We'll meet a more united, compact and organised team than Brazil even if they are not as technically strong. They have trained for months together like a club side," he said.

Malta hope the prospect of facing the Azzurri in front of a sell-out crowd at the National Stadium will spur the players on.

"This will be a very difficult game for us but if we are fully focused and keep our tactical discipline, I believe we can gain a creditable result," captain Michael Mifsud, 31, said.

Forward Mifsud, the most capped player in the squad with 96 appearances, should retain his place but coach Pietro Ghedin, who held various posts with the Italian Football Federation before returning as Malta coach last year, could make changes.

Midfielders Gareth Sciberras, who missed the Bulgaria game with a minor groin injury, and Andrew Cohen are set to come in.

Malta gave a good account of themselves when they lost only 2-0 to Italy in Modena last September.

Probable teams:
Malta: Andrew Hogg; Andrei Agius, Luke Dimech, Jonathan Caruana, Clayton Failla; Gareth Sciberras, Roderick Briffa, Edward Herrera, Andrew Cohen, Andre Schembri; Michael Mifsud
Italy: Gianluigi Buffon; Christian Maggio, Leonardo Bonucci, Andrea Barzagli, Mattia De Sciglio; Daniele De Rossi, Andrea Pirlo, Riccardo Montolivo; Alessio Cerci, Mario Balotelli, Stephan El Sharaawy
Reuters

READ MORE - Soccer-Balotelli blast has Italy dreaming in Malta

Europa League - Bale stretchered off as Tottenham draw with Basel

Europa League - Bale stretchered off as Tottenham draw with Basel - Europa League quarter-final first leg, White Hart Lane - Tottenham 2 (Adebayor 40, Sigurdsson 58) Basel 2 (Stocker 30, Frei 35)

Tottenham came back from two goals down to draw 2-2 with Basel in their Europa League quarter-final first leg at White Hart Lane but lost Gareth Bale, Aaron Lennon and Williams Gallas to injury.

Welsh talisman Bale caught his ankle on the pitch going in awkwardly for a challenge in stoppage time at the end of an all-action encounter, and looked to be in a great deal of pain clutching his ankle as he was carried off on a stretcher.

Tottenham's Gareth Bale in action against Basel (AFP)

Spurs also had Gallas forced from action near the end, while substitute Lennon had to go off in the first half just before the Swiss side tore the Londoners apart on the counter-attack.

Valentin Stocker broke the deadlock after a great move forward on the half hour before Fabian Frei doubled their advantage only five minutes later.

Emmanuel Adebayor pulled one back before the break before Gylfi Sigurdsson, on in place of Lennon, equalised with a great, deflected, distance drive.

Though Tottenham began another opening leg at home in a confident manner, in hopes of replicating their impressive White Hart Lane result in the previous round, they were found wanting at the back more than once by Basel’s crisp counters.

Though Bale and Kyle Naughton had good early chances for the hosts, it was Swiss prospect Stocker, looking dangerous playing behind and around striker Marco Streller, who broke the deadlock.

Beginning a push forward after the ball fell fortuitously from a ricochet, Stocker sent the lively Mohamed Salah free on the right to deliver a low centre to Streller.

The veteran’s turn and first touch were a treat, and though his eventual shot came back off the far post, Stocker was there to convert the rebound.

Things went from bad to worse for Andre Villas-Boas’s side as Basel made it two goals in five minutes with a completely preventable set-piece goal.

As a corner came off Jan Vertoghen at the near post, Frei escaped marker Naughton in the meantime and guided a header into the bottom corner.

To their credit, Spurs kept trying to create and pulled one back five minutes after going two down when Scott Parker’s pass-cum-shot fell into the path of Adebayor, who kept the volley down just enough to find the roof of Yann Sommer’s net.

Parker should have added a goal to his assist just two minutes later, but after Sommer denied Lewis Holtby from converting Sigurdsson’s killer ball into the box, the midfielder somehow missed an open goal from six yards out.

Naughton, looking to make amends for his role in Basel’s second, forced a dramatic late save from Sommer as his wonderful 35-yard effort curled away from the keeper.

And shortly after, the outside-the-box approach paid off for the Premier League side as Sigurdsson came inside from the left, skipping past two opponents, before unleashing a wicked drive which wrong-footed the Swiss stopper via a deflection from Fabian Schar.

All things considered, Tottenham would have been happy to just hear the final whistle and begin to plot a route to victory abroad with a number of players back in contention.

But after Gallas, who had taken his fair share of knocks throughout, finally had to withdraw just short of the regulation 90, Bale’s worrying late injury makes it a triple concern – with of course the free-scoring attacker the biggest worry of all.

MAN OF THE MATCH

Valentin Stocker (Basel): Proved an absolute handful for the rickety Spurs back line playing behind the hard-working Streller. Will be the one to watch in the second leg.

PLAYER RATINGS

TOTTENHAM : Friedel 6, Naughton 5, Gallas 5, Vertonghen 6, Assou-Ekotto 5, Lennon 5, Parker 6, Dembélé 7, Holtby 7, Bale 6, Adebayor 6; Subs: Dawson 7, Sigurdsson 7, Dempsey 5.

BASEL : Sommer 7, Steinhöfer 7, Schär 6, Dragovic 7, Voser 5, El-Nenny 6, Serey Die 6, Salah 8, F. Frei 7, Stocker 8, Streller 8; Subs: Degen n/a, Cabral 5, Zoua 6.

Eurosport

READ MORE - Europa League - Bale stretchered off as Tottenham draw with Basel