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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Sport
ALEX YOUNG

Martin Jol remembers Tottenham famous Ajax comeback: 'I had to pinch myself!'

Former Tottenham manager Martin Jol has described his experience of watching Spurs' famous comeback against Ajax from inside the stadium.

A year ago to the day, a Lucas Moura hat-trick sent Spurs to their first ever Champions League final in the most dramatic fashion, sealing progression with the last kick of the game.

Dutchman Martin Jol, who managed Spurs between 2004 and 2007, was a guest of Ajax at the game and was sitting alongside the likes of Marc Overmars and Edwin van der Sar.

"Everyone was speechless," he told Spurs TV of the game. "I've never experienced it before in my life.

"In the first half, Ajax were so much better. They scored to make it 2-0, and everyone thought it was mission impossible. We didn't have a feeling that Spurs would score three goals, Ajax were playing unbelievably well. I thought 'this is it'.

"Then, with the 2-2, it changed. Of course, I'm a Spurs man and I had a look at Daniel [Levy, Spurs chairman]. He was very quiet, everybody was very quiet.

"[When Lucas scored the third] I had to pinch myself because we couldn't jump up. It would have been a little awkward as guests in the directors' box and with Marc Overmars to my side.

"Everyone was speechless, they didn't know what to think. It was so different, I've never experienced that before in my life."

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