Young Boys finished runners-up in the 2009–10 season, finishing three points behind champions Basel despite losing only one match at home all season. It entered Champions League qualification and defeated Fenerbahçe to set up a meeting with Tottenham Hotspur in the play-off round. YB went out to a 3–0 lead in the opening leg at Stade de Suisse on Tuesday 17 August, but had to hold on for a 3–2 win, then, fell 4–0 at White Hart Lane eight nights later and went out of the competition. Following its defeat, Young Boys was dropped to the Europa League group stage. The Bernese club qualified for the knockout stage of the tournament as runners-up of its group, behind group leaders VfB Stuttgart and at the expense of Getafe and Odense. In the Round of 32, the club faced Zenit Saint Petersburg, defeating its Russian opponents at home in the first leg (2–1), but suffering elimination after the second leg, losing 3–1 in their visit at Saint Petersburg.