OFFICIAL: Spurs to take on Auckland FC on preseason tour
What’s the best way to get Tottenham Hotspur fans back onside in the aftermath of sacking your second head coach in the course of this absolute disaster of a Premier League season? A tour to the other side of the world, of course!
I wrote around a week ago on a report from New Zealand media stating that Spurs were reportedly planning an additional leg in Auckland on their Antipodean tour, with fixtures already planned in Australia against Chelsea and an A-League A. That report has now been confirmed via an official announcement - score one for the Kiwi media, I guess!
This will be Spurs’ first preseason fixture as the club heads into the 2026/27 season, and will be against A-League side Auckland FC - not, as I mentioned in last week’s piece, Auckland City FC, the semi-professional outfit that was slaughtered by all and sundry at the Club World Cup.
Coming only weeks after the conclusion of the FIFA World Cup, Spurs are unlikely to have a full squad with them on the tour (and will they even have a new head coach at that point?); nonetheless, it’ll provide a good opportunity for some young prospects and lesser seen players to ply their trade in New Zealand’s largest stadium.
That in and of itself is something of a surprise given Auckland FC typically hold their home matches at the much smaller Mount Smart Stadium; Eden Park has triple the capacity at 50,000, extending up to 60,000 if temporary seating is made available. That seems to indicate that Spurs’ top brass are expecting a bumper crowd, given the cost of using a facility like Eden Park; expectations that could prove costly given Spurs’ precarious status as a Premier League club.
Seemingly, though, the thinking is that no matter what happens in the next couple of months, Spurs will be a significant drawcard. It’s not often a club of Spurs’ stature travels to New Zealand, so it’s a great opportunity for Kiwi fans to see the players they love up close.
And maybe Roberto De Zerbi as well. Hurray.