This is a hoot. After Chelsea's win in the Champions League final last month, Tottenham Hotspur, who finished two points above us in fourth place, were demoted from the competition for 2012/13 and kicked into the Europa League. The fact that we screwed Spurs was one of the more amusing parts of the victory, because it's probably going to do horrible things to their squad.
No big deal, says Harry Redknapp:
I think it's overrated what people say about Champions League football and whatever. People would have still gone to Chelsea if they hadn't won the Champions League this year because they know it's a club that's looking to get into the Champions League positions next year.
They pay fantastic money. If you pay players enough money and you give them good enough contracts and you show that you're ambitious, they'll come to your club. Champions League football, because you don't make it one year - it's one year. I think that's an excuse for players who want to leave and get better contracts elsewhere. I don't see that as a real problem.
He does know that playing in the Champions League means more money to spend on players, right?