UEFA Cup bye buoys Spurs’ trophy hopes

TOTTENHAM moved a step closer to this year’s UEFA Cup final in Glasgow following the decision to give them a bye into the last 16 of the competition.

Spurs were due to play Feyenoord on February 15 but the Dutch club were kicked out of the tournament following crowd trouble earlier in the season against French side Nancy.

Subject to a possible appeal by Feyenoord to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, Martin Jol’s men will face Braga or Parma for a place in the quarter-finals of Europe’s second-tier competition.

UEFA’s other likely option was to order Spurs to play Wisla Krakow, who finished behind Feyenoord in the group stage.

While Tottenham will lose revenue from gate receipts and television money, they gain prize money for getting closer to this season’s final.

Jol’s men moved a step closer to ending their eight-year wait for a trophy, the day after their hopes of reaching the Carling Cup final were dented by Julio Baptista earning Arsenal a 2-2 draw in the semi-final first leg at White Hart Lane.

Yesterday’s decision gives the club more recovery time in their hectic programme but it offers a spare week for the Premiership clash against Everton which requires rescheduling.

Meanwhile, Celta Vigo president Carlos Mourino claims Spurs want to sell Mido, the Egypt striker who has also been linked with Manchester City.

“Tottenham want to sell him but Mido has a price we cannot afford,” Mourino said.