Unfamiliar surrounds for Spurs' ECL opener

Sep 12, 2016 - 3:45 PM Tottenham will open its Champions League campaign against Monaco in London, just not at White Hart Lane.

Part of Tottenham's home stadium is currently undergoing construction work, so the ground has been deemed unsuitable to host Champions League matches.

Although the team is still playing its Premier League matches at home, Tottenham will move to Wembley for the Champions League.

``It's going to be an amazing atmosphere and the lads cannot wait to play,'' Tottenham striker Harry Kane said, who broke a nine-match goal drought in Tottenham's 4-0 victory over Stoke on Saturday.

Wembley has been used as a temporary Champions League stadium in the past. London rival Arsenal was forced to play at Wembley during the 1998-99 and 1999-00 seasons because its former Highbury Stadium did not have a large enough capacity.

Arsenal's record over those two seasons may well worry Spurs fans.

Arsenal won only two of its six games at Wembley over the two campaigns, failing to progress from its group on both occasions.

Besides Kane, Tottenham teammates Dele Alli and Eric Dier also have Wembley experience as part of the English national team.

Tottenham last appeared in the Champions League in the 2010-11 season, reaching the quarterfinals before losing to Real Madrid.

During that campaign, Tottenham defeated Inter Milan and AC Milan, but it was Gareth Bale's hat trick in the away loss to Inter that was one of the highlights of the tournament.

Tottenham has played in the Europa League every season since then, but is back in the Champions League after challenging for the Premier League title last season under manager Mauricio Pochettino.

Source: AAP