Inter Milan manager Andrea Stramaccioni has said that his is proud of his players after they almost staged an unlikely comeback in the second leg of their last-16 Europa League clash with Tottenham Hotspur.

The Italians went into the game trailing 3-0 from the first leg, but took the match to extra time with a three-goal lead after 90 minutes.

Stramaccioni's side eventually bowed out on the away goals rule after Emmanuel Adebayor hit a decisive goal in extra time to put Spurs into the quarter-finals.

"This is a fundamental sign we send today and the only positive I can see from this evening is that we won't have midweek games to worry about. It was our best performance of the season," he told Sky Sports News.

"The team shook off its fear and always held the initiative. It's a shame about the result, as we conceded after so many scoring opportunities.

"Playing 120 minutes at an incredible level of intensity is tough, but I saw a team that made a big step forward today."

Spurs join fellow Premier League sides Chelsea and Newcastle United in the last eight of the competition.