Young Boys out to earn their spurs

BSC Young Boys and Tottenham Hotspur FC meet in the UEFA Champions League play-off round with each keen to make an impact in the competition having long been frustrated observers.

• The Swiss side lost 5-2 on aggregate to FK Crvena Zvezda in the 2004/05 second qualifying round and were beaten 5-1 by Real Madrid CF in the European Champion Clubs' Cup first round in 1986/87 – though they did beat the Spanish giants 1-0 at home. Those ties apart, Young Boys' sole experience of the European Cup came between 1957 and 1960, reaching the semi-finals in 1958/59 – losing 3-1 to Stade de Reims Champagne over two legs – and going out in the first round in 1957/58, 1959/60 and 1960/61.

• Tottenham have featured just once in the European Cup, reaching the semi-finals in 1961/62 before a 4-3 aggregate defeat by SL Benfica.

• In 2009/10, Young Boys won 1-0 at Athletic Club in the first leg of the UEFA Europa League third qualifying round but lost 2-1 at home to bow out while Tottenham did not feature in UEFA competition.

• This time around, the Berne club – second in the Swiss Super League last season – won 1-0 at Fenerbahçe SK in the third qualifying round second leg to complete a 3-2 aggregate triumph, with the Turkish side playing a significant part of both meetings with ten men. Tottenham qualified automatically for the play-off round having finished fourth in the Premier League.

Match background
• Young Boys have never faced English opposition in UEFA competition; they were drawn to face Manchester United FC in the 1958/59 European Cup preliminary round but progressed on a walkover after United withdrew.

• Tottenham were paired with Grasshopper-Club in the 1973/74 UEFA Cup first round and emerged comfortable winners, a 5-1 win in Zurich preceding a 4-1 triumph in north London.

• It was a different story when they drew FC Luzern in the 1995 UEFA Intertoto Cup group stage, the Swiss side running out 2-0 winners in Brighton.

Team ties
• Young Boys defender Scott Sutter was born in the London suburb of Enfield and grew up as a Tottenham fan. "It was amazing for me when I was watching the draw with my dad and the first two names out were us and Tottenham," Sutter said. "I jumped up and punched the air. The club I support and once had a season ticket; I can finally play at White Hart Lane. It couldn't get any better."

• Jermaine Jenas scored England's first goal in a 2-1 friendly win against Switzerland on 6 February 2008, Fabio Capello's first game in charge. David Bentley also started with Peter Crouch a second-half substitute. Christoph Spycher was in the Switzerland team.

• David Degen scored FC Basel 1893's second goal in their 2-0 win against Middlesbrough FC in the 2005/06 UEFA Cup quarter-final first leg, although it was the English side who progressed on aggregate following a 4-1 triumph in the return.