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Wednesday 18 December 2013

Basel deny that Tottenham have made contact about coach Murat Yakin


Swiss side FC Basel have denied claims that Tottenham have contacted them about their coach Murat Yakin.

The former Swiss international has impressed since taking charge of Basel last year, guiding them to the domestic title while also eliminating Tottenham from the Europa League.
Reports in Switzerland have claimed that Spurs had made enquiries about Yakin and his possible availability, with some even suggesting that his agent was due in London for talks.
However, Basel have insisted that they have heard nothing from Tottenham, who are searching for a new manager following Monday's sacking of Andre Villas-Boas.
Their president Bernhard Heusler told Swiss daily Blick: "There has been no contact between the clubs."
Yakin, who is currently on holiday as the Swiss league enjoys its winter break, has also been linked with Lazio, but he insists he has not heard anything from either club.
"I am enjoying my holidays. I have had no contact with Lazio or Tottenham," he is quoted as saying by Blick.
SkyBet currently list Yakin as fifth favourite at 14/1 for the Spurs job, with caretaker Tim Sherwood and Glenn Hoddle the current favourites.
News of Villas-Boas sacking shocked the Spurs dressing room. Speaking on American TV show FOX Soccer Daily, keeper Brad Friedel insisted the players were fully behind the Portuguese coach.
"I think all the players in the changing room really wanted things to work out for Andre," the veteran goalkeeper said.
"From day one that he came to the club, (he had an) open door policy, very good communication with the players. None of us were happy to see him go.
"We still have to continue to have a very good team spirit, which I know we will.
"We have a lot of quality in the changing room.
"I'm sure the board are going to be hiring a very good manager to take us forward, who the players will all be behind again, because, at the end of the day, we are employed by Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, not by the manager they're bringing in.
"We just have to try to adhere to all of his ideas and try to get results for the football club."
Tim Sherwood has since been placed in caretaker charge and hopes he can encourage an immediate impact, starting with the visit of West Ham to White Hart Lane in the Capital One Cup quarter-final on Wednesday night.
Technical director Sherwood takes charge of the first team for the first time hoping to show he is a long-term candidate to succeed Villas-Boas.
The former Spurs captain is eager for his side to show their quality against the Hammers, who beat Spurs 3-0 in the Premier League in October in one of a number of results which resulted in Villas-Boas' sacking.
"When you lose your manager, it's a change and you've got to listen to a different voice, but I'm hoping to get a few messages across in a short space of time so we can get a positive result against West Ham," Sherwood told Spurs TV.
"It's a huge game, especially on the back of what they did to us at the Lane. It was disappointing.
"We have to get out there on the front foot and we have to impose ourselves on them as soon as we can during the game."

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