Spurs have taken 33 points from 21 matches since Harry Redknapp took charge, a run which has seen them pull away from the relegation zone after their poor start to the campaign.

The downgrade pushed up the interest-rate spread on ten-year Greek bonds to 2.5 percentage points over German Bunds, the safest euro-zone credit.

Greece is now paying 5.6% for ten-year debt, two-and-a-half percentage points more than Germany and four-tenths of a point more than Poland, which is not even in the euro zone.