Wales Online

Tottenham face German club Hoffenheim on Sunday

Tottenham bring their pre-season preparations to a close with a second meeting with Hoffenheim in the space of 24 hours, as the two sides go head-to-head again on Sunday.

The unusual double-header has been arranged as both clubs look to give their squads one final workout before the competitive campaign gets under way.

The fixture comes just a day after Tottenham recorded an impressive 3-0 victory over the Bundesliga side at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Richarlison opened the scoring before Mikey Moore struck twice after the interval, giving Roberto De Zerbi's side a positive outing in front of their home supporters.

However, Sunday's encounter will have a very different feel. The game is being played behind closed doors at Tottenham's Hotspur Way Training Centre, meaning supporters will not be able to attend the match. It nevertheless provides De Zerbi with another valuable opportunity to assess his squad and manage minutes ahead of the Premier League season.

For Hoffenheim, the second game offers an immediate chance to respond after Saturday's defeat. Christian Ilzer's team created opportunities in the first meeting but were ultimately punished for failing to convert them, while Tottenham's greater efficiency in front of goal proved decisive.

Here is everything you need to know.

Kick-off time

Tottenham v Hoffenheim takes place on Sunday, August 16, at the Hotspur Way Training Centre.

Kick-off is scheduled for 12pm BST. The match is being played behind closed doors and is not open to supporters.

TV details and live stream

The match will not be shown on conventional television in the UK.

However, Tottenham have confirmed that both of the weekend's matches against Hoffenheim are being shown live on SPURSPLAY, subject to regional availability.

For supporters in the UK, therefore, SPURSPLAY is the main option for watching the game live. Tottenham's official Match Centre will also provide live text updates for supporters who are unable to watch.

Tottenham team news

Roberto De Zerbi is expected to make significant changes after fielding a strong side in Saturday's 3-0 victory.

The back-to-back fixtures give the Tottenham head coach an opportunity to spread minutes across the squad, with less-regular players likely to be given valuable playing time. Spurs also have several players whose fitness has been a talking point during pre-season, including James Maddison and Mohammed Kudus, while Dejan Kulusevski has been working his way back towards full fitness.

Cristian Romero is also no longer part of De Zerbi's plans after agreeing a move to Atletico Madrid, leaving Tottenham to continue assessing their options at centre-back. Marcos Senesi and Kevin Danso are among those expected to take on greater responsibility in the position.

Saturday's starting XI included Antonin Kinsky, Andy Robertson, Archie Gray, Marcos Senesi, Jan Paul van Hecke, Conor Gallagher, Lucas Bergvall, Sandro Tonali, Mathys Tel, Richarlison and Mikey Moore. Given the quick turnaround, substantial rotation is expected for Sunday's game.

Hoffenheim team news

Hoffenheim will also be expected to rotate after playing Tottenham on Saturday.

One of their biggest absentees is Andrej Kramaric, who is recovering from a groin injury and is expected to remain out until later in August. His absence removes one of Hoffenheim's most experienced attacking players from consideration.

Christian Ilzer made extensive changes at half-time in Saturday's match, with almost his entire team replaced as he managed the squad across the two fixtures.

The Wales international is thought to be a wanted man, with his contract at Elland Road set to expire

Tottenham Hotspur could rival Manchester United for Wales goalkeeper Karl Darlow this summer after the Leeds United veteran emerged as a surprise target for both Premier League giants.

According to The Athletic, Manchester United are exploring the goalkeeper market and have identified Darlow as a potential option as they look to strengthen their squad ahead of a return to Champions League football.

But United may not have a clear run at the 35-year-old, with Tottenham also monitoring the situation as uncertainty remains over their own goalkeeping department.

Darlow is set to become a free agent when his Leeds contract expires at the end of this month, making him an attractive low-cost option for clubs seeking experienced cover between the posts.

The Wales international finished last season as Leeds' first-choice goalkeeper after displacing Lucas Perri midway through the campaign and keeping his place for the remainder of the season.

His performances in a Wales shirt have also seen him become the undisputed No.1 for the national team and that has only served to attract interest from the Premier League.

For Manchester United, the search for a goalkeeper comes amid expected departures. Andre Onana is anticipated to leave permanently or on loan after spending last season with Trabzonspor, while Altay Bayindir is also likely to move on.

That has prompted United to look at experienced alternatives who can provide competition and support for first-choice goalkeeper Senne Lammens.

However, Tottenham are also credited with an interest in Darlow.

While Antonin Kinsky is highly rated in north London, questions remain over the long-term future of Guglielmo Vicario. Should the Italian leave this summer, Spurs would need additional goalkeeping depth and Darlow is understood to be one of the names under consideration.

A move to either club would see Darlow take an unusual route from Elland Road to one of English football's biggest clubs.

Leeds and Manchester United rarely conduct business between themselves due to the fierce rivalry between the two sides, although the likes of Eric Cantona, Rio Ferdinand and Alan Smith have made the switch in the past.

Darlow's availability on a free transfer is understood to be a key factor behind the interest. As an English-born player who came through the academy systems at Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest, he also qualifies as homegrown, a valuable asset for Premier League squad registration purposes.

The goalkeeper has made almost 300 senior club appearances during his career, including 74 in the Premier League, while he has also earned 15 caps for Wales.

With both Manchester United and Tottenham assessing their goalkeeping options, Darlow could find himself at the centre of an unexpected transfer tussle this summer.

The veteran has put pen to paper on a new deal with Spurs

Ben Davies has signed a new 12-month deal with Tottenham Hotspur.

The 33-year-old is now set to enter his 13th season as a Spurs player, ending weeks of speculation over his future.

Indeed, it had initially looked as though the former Swansea City man was set to leave north London.

But with 363 appearances already under his belt, it seems his time at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium isn't yet done.

Commenting on the deal, Davies said: "Tottenham Hotspur really feels like home.

"It's been a huge part of my football journey and I'm grateful for what the Club has given me so far in my career.

"It's been difficult over the past few months, not being able to help the team on the pitch in some tough moments due to injury.

"So I tried to help the boys off it as much as I could, being a voice in the dressing room and around the group, contributing in any way I could.

"My heart's on my sleeve for this Club and I'll give everything for it."

Davies has recently been away on international duty with Wales after recently returning from an ankle injury.

However, he didn't feature in either of the games with Ghana or Romania, and will now focus on getting his fitness up for the new season.

How much of a role he will play under Roberto de Zerbi remains to be seen, but his experience is clearly highly valued by the club.

Meanwhile, 11 players will leave Spurs, including Mali international Yves Bissouma, who joined in the summer 2022 from Brighton for £30million, and went on to make 111 appearances in all competitions in our colours.

From the under-21s, Pele Arganese-McDermott, Tyrell Ashcroft, Leo Black, Dante Cassanova, Matthew Craig and Calum Logan will all leave following the conclusion of their contracts.

In the under-18s, Spurs have confirmed the departure of Jamel Beggs, Samal Bangura and Leon Myrtaj. Additionally, Elijah Upson has rejected the offer of a contract and will leave the club.

The Wales centre-back faces an uncertain future in north London

Roberto De Zerbi is wasting little time in getting Tottenham ready for the start of the next Premier League season.

The 2025/26 campaign was one to forget for the north Londoners, who only escaped relegation with a couple games to spare following a disastrous period for the club.

After a number of manager changes across the term, former Brighton man de Zerbi is the man charged with getting Spurs back up the table and back in the conversation for European football.

The Italian manager has already signed Liverpool's Andy Robertson on a free transfer, a shrewd bit of business to add someone of the Scot's experience to a backline that was all at sea last season.

Bournemouth's Marcos Senesi looks also to be high on their wanted list, who is also available on a free, while the club have had two bids knocked back for Brighton's Jan Paul van Hecke in the last few days.

The Seagulls value the defender at around £70million and the club expect Spurs to return with another offer.

Chairman Paul Barber told talkSPORT: "There's always going to be a lot of interest in our best players, and certainly in the case of Jan Paul.

"We've been very clear that that interest has been ongoing for a while, it's coming from multiple sources.

"Yes, we have rejected a bid from Tottenham over the last week or so, in fact, two bids.

"From that point of view, it has to be right for us as well as the player.

"We have to be in a position to make the best trades to suit our model and also to make sure that we're supporting Fabian [Hurzeler], because he's got another big season ahead of him.

"He's had two seasons in the Premier League, he's finished eighth on both occasions, this time we've been fortunate enough to qualify for a European competition.

"We want to go as deep in that competition as we can, while also doing well in the Premier League.

"To do that, we need to make sure Fabian's got the best possible squad and we've got the right balance between the young players that typically we like to bring in and develop, and the more experienced players like Pascal Gross and others, who can actually help us progress in all of the competitions that we're in.

"As always, it's a balancing act, and hopefully this summer we can work hard to pull it off again."

Defensive additions at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium would leave the future of Wales skipper Ben Davies in limbo.

Davies' contract expires at the end of the month, with the defensive lynchpin having been injured on the sidelines for months due to an ankle injury he sustained in January.

Club favourite Gary Mabbutt believes he still has a role to play at the club.

"Ben's a great lad," said Spurs great Mabbutt.

"What he has given to the club so far… it was just so unfortunate the injury he received. It was devastating for him and or us because Ben's a player you can always rely on.

"Certainly I hope something will be done with his contract, whether it be still on the playing side or maybe looking a bit more to the future, but hopefully still with Tottenham Hotspur."

Mabbutt recognised, however, that the squad needs a major makeover.

"We have to bring in, I would say, a number of big players to change the squad," he told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast.

"We need to change the level we are at. The ambition of the club is incredible and yet it's not been reflected in the way things have happened in the last couple of seasons. A lot of work has to be done."

The NFL is coming back to the UK this year with three games on the line-up. We've got all the details fans need now.

After another tense season, the National Football League (NFL) will be making its way back to the UK once again this year. The annual arrival of the biggest and best American football leagues has become one of the tentpole events of the year, and 2026 is no different.

It has recently been confirmed that three major league NFL games will be taking place in London this year. First up will be the Indianapolis Colts taking on the Washington Commanders on October 4, 2026, at London's Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Next up, the Philadelphia Eagles will be battling it out against the Jacksonville Jaguars on October 11, 2026. This game will also be taking place at the home of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club.

The third and final game will take place on October 18, 2026. However, the Houston Texans and the Jacksonville Jaguars will not be at Tottenham Hotspur.

The last game in the three-game series will be held at London's Wembley Stadium for a gangbuster finale. After that, the NFL will move on to another country to continue its match-ups.

Speaking to the BBC, Henry Hodgson, general manager at NFL UK and Ireland, said: "When you see it on paper, the iconic stadiums that we're going to be playing in around the world, the incredible teams that are going to be involved and the amazing players, it's really exciting.

"The Eagles are only a year removed from being Super Bowl champions, they're a really successful, high-powered team against a Jags team that probably wants to get to that point quickly after a great season last year."

They added: "It's been relatively rare to have divisional match-ups played overseas, so for the Jags to be hosting the Texans at Wembley could be a really pivotal game."

Tickets will very soon be released for these events, and there are some great options. We've detailed them below.

How to buy NFL UK tickets now

NFL UK tickets will soon be available from a couple of different online retailers. This includes the official NFL UK website, which has plenty on offer. It also includes the official Tottenham Hotspur Stadium website. Here, fans can pick their ideal seats or tickets.

Secondly, there's Seat Unique. The VIP and hospitality-focused website not only sells tickets to the games, but also offers additional perks. These might include food and drinks packages, premium seats, after-parties, early access and more. The details can be found on their website, as details may change in the months leading up to the games.

Here are the links to both ticketing options:

NFL - Buy NFL UK tickets here.

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR - Buy NFL UK tickets here.

SEAT UNIQUE - Buy NFL UK tickets here.

NFL UK Dates

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At Reach and across our entities we and our partners use information collected through cookies and other identifiers from your device to improve experience on our site, analyse how it is used and to show personalised advertising. You can opt out of the sale or sharing of your data, at any time clicking the "Do Not Sell or Share my Data" button at the bottom of the webpage. Please note that your preferences are browser specific. Use of our website and any of our services represents your acceptance of the use of cookies and consent to the practices described in our Privacy Notice and Terms and Conditions.

GK Barry's comments involving Tottenham Hotspur resulted in an apology being made

GK Barry's disparaging statement towards Tottenham Hotspur saw the club receive an apology from the Women's Super League.

The popular internet personality - who is set to feature on Michael McIntyre's The Wheel on BBC One on Saturday alongside the likes of Chris McCausland, Gabby Logan and Iain Stirling - caused controversy last year when conducting the Women's League Cup quarter-final and semi-final draw.

The 26-year-old, real name Grace Keeling, performed the live draw alongside her partner, Portsmouth attacking midfielder Ella Rutherford, with it being shown on WSL Football's TikTok page. However, her behaviour plunged her in hot water after making several crude jokes, including a comment about Tottenham.

An apology from the WSL was given to the north London side following the problematic draw. She also pulled a ball out of the bag, only to drop it back in by accident, then removed it once again to be used as part of the official draw.

When pulling out a ball with Tottenham's name on it, Grace asked the viewers: "What do we think of Tottenham?" The comment was in reference to an anti-Spurs chant sung by Arsenal supporters.

An adjudicator was present at the draw and stated that the ball she took out for a second time - which revealed the home side in the first semi-final - was the same ball she dropped.

WSL Football later confirmed that if it wasn't the same number, her gaffe would have resulted in the draw being restarted. She has become a staple of reality television in the UK and appeared on I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! in 2024.

That same year she joined Loose Women, becoming the youngest regular panellist in the ITV show's 25-year history. Following the WSL drama, she received backing from her Loose Women co-star Denise Welch on Instagram.

Replying to a clip about the backlash she and her partner received, Welch commented: "For goodness sake!!! Don't book Grace then!!!

"It's exactly what she does. She's never going to be a regular football pundit!! It's like booking Alan Carr and complaining he was too camp!!!"

At Reach and across our entities we and our partners use information collected through cookies and other identifiers from your device to improve experience on our site, analyse how it is used and to show personalised advertising. You can opt out of the sale or sharing of your data, at any time clicking the "Do Not Sell or Share my Data" button at the bottom of the webpage. Please note that your preferences are browser specific. Use of our website and any of our services represents your acceptance of the use of cookies and consent to the practices described in our Privacy Notice and Terms and Conditions.

Wales boss Bellamy has confirmed interest in persuading the Spurs youngster to switch allegiances

Craig Bellamy says he was disappointed to see interest in Tottenham Hotspur's dual-qualified midfielder Ashley Phillips leaked in the press ahead of his latest squad announcement.

News emerged earlier this month that Wales were looking persuading the 20-year-old, who qualifies through his mother, to switch international allegiances from England.

Phillips, who is currently on loan with Championship side Stoke City, recently represented England at under-21 level and is also eligible to represent Nigeria.

Bellamy confirmed he is a player they are hoping to bring on board, but was clearly not impressed at seeing their interest reported in the media.

"We always look at dual-nationalities," Bellamy said.

"It's been so good for us over a number of years. I'm so, so disappointed it's got out again. It doesn't help us. Trust me.

"I'm the one that has to ring the coaches up. I'm the one who has to ring Stoke up and apologise.

"It doesn't do us any service at all. So please, if you [the press] do find a leak somewhere, please speak to me first.

"Because you give less chance us less chance of getting this type of player. It's something for down the road. It's not for now.

"But we're always active on it. We have to be. If there are players of quality and they have a chance to play for Wales, we have to be.

"So that's for another time on here."

Phillips wasn't included in Bellamy's latest 26-man squad for the upcoming World Cup play-offs, which start with a semi-final clash against Bosnia at the Cardiff City Stadium on March 26.

Chris Mepham, Kieffer Moore and Ben Davies have all been ruled out due to injury, with midfielder Aaron Ramsey also absent.

Ramsey have been without a club since leaving Mexican side Pumas, and his international future now looks to be uncertain, with Bellamy tight-lipped on what may not come next.

"He hasn't played competitive football in seven months. He's not at a club," said Bellamy.

"Maybe I do, maybe I don't," he added when asked if he knew about Ramsey's next potential chapter.

"It [Ramsey's future] is not really for me to talk about. It's a situation I'm sure which will resolve itself."