Harry Redknapp called for Astroturf to be banned from the Champions League after his Tottenham side narrowly avoided total humiliation on Young Boys' artificial pitch.
Spurs were 3-0 down after the opening half-hour in Bern before goals from Sebastien Bassong and Roman Pavyluchenko ensured Redknapp's men would take a 3-2 defeat back to London ahead of next Wednesday's return leg.
Redknapp had refused to criticise the Stade de Suisse's plastic pitch in the build-up , but following the match he said: "It's not an excuse but I played on Astroturf myself and hated every minute of it. I don't agree with Astroturf and I don't think Astroturf should be used in a competition like this."
Redknapp, who left captain Ledley King at home due to the pitch, revealed he had held a meeting with his unhappy squad about it on Tuesday night.
He added: "I left four players out because they weren't comfortable on the pitch in training on Monday.
"Aaron Lennon wasn't comfortable, Robbie (Keane) had a problem with his knee. Tom Huddlestone, last time he played on Astroturf, he was out for six weeks - his knee blew up like a balloon. So I didn't really want to risk Tom. It was a case that we were pretty desperate and I threw him on."
Redknapp admitted his side got out of jail, saying: "It was a great defeat - if there's such a thing as a great defeat.
"At 3-0 down, we were staring down the barrel, weren't we, really? We were in desperate trouble."
Spurs defended appallingly in the opening 28 minutes, conceding perfectly preventable goals to Senad Lulic, Henri Bienvenu and Xavier Hochstrasser.
"We were all over the show," Redknapp said. "From the first minute, we started sloppily, they hit the post and it went on. (It) just shows you that there are no easy games."
Source: PA
