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Tottenham were defeated by Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup on penalties.

Unfortunately for Spurs, it wasn’t meant to be as they surrendered a two-goal lead late on before eventually succumbing to the European champions in a penalty shootout.

Thomas Frank would have instantly endeared himself to the Spurs faithful even more if he had managed to bring more European silverware back to North London, but for now, this is not the case.

Micky Van de Ven was one of those to miss his spot kick, and now the defender has come out and apologised.

Van de Ven posts message after penalty miss

Frank was able to utilise Van de Ven and his fellow centre-back Cristian Romero in an attacking sense in Wednesday’s match, with their attacking threat from set-pieces impressing Premier League icon Wayne Rooney.

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The manner in which the Spurs defence capitulated late on will be cause for concern for Frank, however, as the Danish manager attempts to tighten up Tottenham’s defence.

After his penalty was saved in the shootout, Van de Ven took to Instagram on 14 August to apologise.

“Devastated about last night. Sorry that I couldn’t help the team in the penalty shootout,” he posted.

The defender was not the only one to miss in the shootout, with Mathys Tel failing to hit the target and spooning his effort wide of the post.

Van de Ven crucial to Spurs next season

Given their injury woes last campaign, if Frank can have Van de Ven and Romero playing together on a regular basis, that will go a long way to remedy their defensive issues from last season.

With Romero recently pledging his future to the club and being named captain, Spurs fans can breathe a sigh of relief that their Argentinian ace is not going anywhere for the foreseeable.

It will be interesting to see if Frank continues to deploy a back five with Kevin Danso playing alongside Van de Ven and Romero, or whether he will feel he can open up more when they play inferior opposition.

Tottenham have now turned their attention towards Eberechi Eze as they try to strengthen their squad in the final few weeks of the window.

The 27-year-old has become one of the Premier League’s finest creators during his time with the Eagles, and would certainly come at a significant cost to the Lilywhites.

Spurs are already in talks over a move for Eze, and it is thought that initial discussions regarding a deal have progressed well.

There is genuine hope that the Crystal Palace star could become the next new addition for Thomas Frank’s side, who have been linked with countless big-money targets so far this summer

This article includes exclusive comment from former Tottenham scout Bryan King.

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Eze to earn over £200,000-a-week as Tottenham eye Maddison replacement

Tottenham’s push for Eze has likely stemmed from the fact that James Maddison is facing another lengthy period on the sidelines.

The former Leicester City star was stretchered off in the recent friendly against Newcastle and has since undergone surgery on his ACL.

Eze is being targeted as a potential replacement for Maddison, but he would likely have significant wage demands, since he is now a genuine England international.

Ex-Spurs scout Bryan King – speaking exclusively to Tottenham News – believes that he could command a weekly wage of over £200,000 if the move does go through.

“Eze has moved from QPR to Palace and established himself as an international footballer and certainly one of the best in the Premier League,” King said.

“One of the main reasons why he’d come to Spurs would be the wages. It’s going to be in excess of £200,000-a-week here, which would be a big rise from where he is at the moment.

“Palace have won the FA Cup and they’ve won the Community Shield, maybe he (Eze) will feel that he’s fulfilled his time there and it could be time to move on.

“Tottenham would be mad not to put an offer in, they’ve got to get it done. He’d be the perfect replacement for Maddison, and I think he’s a better player than Maddison.”

Eze wages should be affordable for Spurs

Son Heung-min’s Spurs exit has left a big hole in every possible sense as we head into the new campaign, but it could at least have one benefit for the Lilywhites.

The South Korean superstar was believed to be the highest earner at Spurs, with estimates from Capology placing his weekly earnings in the region of £190,000.

However, with the veteran now out of the equation on Tottenham’s wage bill, there is money that has essentially been freed up, which could easily be used to satisfy Eze’s demands and ensure a deal can be reached.

Daniel Levy isn’t renowned as being somebody who is willing to flaunt his cash too often, but it could be a different story on this occasion, given the departure of the previous highest earner.

Thomas Frank got off to a nightmare start to his Tottenham career on Wednesday night as Spurs lost the UEFA Super cup against PSG on penalties after a 2-2 draw.

Micky van de Ven netted the opener late in the first half, before captain Cristian Romero followed his up with a second three minutes into the second period.

Lee Kang-in managed to pull a goal back late on, before Goncalo Ramos netted an equaliser in added time to take the match to penalties.

However, Tottenham were unable to win the shootout, with the Parisians taking home the trophy.

Tottenham Hotspur News presents the exclusive opinion of former Premier League and FIFA-listed referee Keith Hackett.

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Keith Hackett: Tottenham now at risk of UEFA charge

Romero no doubt had a night he will want to forget against the Championship League holders in the Super Cup.

While the captain scored a great goal to give Spurs daylight against PSG, he was unable to prevent their eventual comeback late on.

On top of this, the Argentine was at the centre of a controversial moment just minutes after his goal.

After a foul in the Tottenham box, Romero appeared to square up to Khvicha Kvaratskhelia before a scuffle quickly unfolded.

Yet, the referee failed to issue a single yellow card for the incident, with Keith Hackett believing that UEFA could end up charging Spurs for failing to control their players.

He said: “The referee’s quick intervention ensured that the confrontation was quickly resolved.

“However, in these situations, my expectation is for the referee to issue a minimum of two yellow cards to reassert his authority.

“UEFA will review the incident and determine if a charge for failing to control their players is imposed.”

Romero will have to help Spurs quickly bounce back

After leading so comfortably against PSG, it will no doubt be a shock for many of the Spurs players that they have somehow missed out on the trophy.

As captain, Romero, who recently became Spurs’ captain, has to ensure that this does not affect the players confidence.

Overall, Tottenham played well against a side that is easily one of the best in Europe. Now Spurs must quickly move on and forget the result.

Hopefully, Thomas Frank’s side can now quickly bounce back in Spurs vs Burnley on the weekend.

Tottenham are licking their wounds after losing the UEFA Super Cup match to Paris Saint-Germain on penalties on Wednesday.

Spurs went 2-0 up in Udine with goals from Micky Van de Ven and Cristian Romero, but were pegged by a long-range Kang-in Lee strike and a Goncalo Ramos header in stoppage time.

PSG then won the game after a penalty shootout where Van de Ven and Matheus Tel missed their spot-kicks.

Tottenham‘s inability to hold onto a lead in a big game led to rival fans reviving the ‘Spursy’ tag on social media.

However, it’s a post from Chelsea’s official X page that might rile up Tottenham fans the most.

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Chelsea make disrespectful social media post minutes after Tottenham Super Cup defeat

Moments after PSG hit their winning penalty, Chelsea made a social media post reminding fans that it had been exactly a month since they beat the European champions in the Club World Cup final.

Indeed, the West London club won that match 3-0 with a brace from Cole Palmer and a Joao Pedro goal on 13 July.

Many Chelsea fans replied, praising the timing of the post.

However, supporters of clubs responded by downplaying the achievement by likening it to a ‘pre-season friendly’.

Tottenham qualified for the UEFA Super Cup by winning the Europa League, a major European trophy, last season.

Frank will take a lot of positives from Super Cup defeat

It will always hurt to lose a final on penalties, especially after being ahead until the dying moments.

However, Thomas Frank will take a lot of heart from his side’s performance against the European champions.

Tottenham brought the game to PSG for the first 80 minutes and were good value for their lead.

Frank’s new signing Mohammed Kudus was pulling the strings during his time on the pitch, while even Richarlison showed his value in attack.

The Spurs boss will have been pulling his hair out in the dugout as he witnessed his team allow PSG back into the game, but hopefully they can learn from this mistake.

All in all, Frank will have seen enough to believe that his team can enjoy a prosperous season in the Premier League, starting from their opening game against Burnley on Saturday.

Tottenham suffered heartbreak on Wednesday night as they let slip a 2-0 lead against PSG before losing the UEFA Super Cup on penalties.

Spurs were in dreamland in the second half, with Micky van de Ven and new Tottenham captain Cristian Romero giving the London club a solid lead.

However, PSG mounted a late comeback to take the match to penalties thanks to goals from Lee Kang-In and Goncalo Ramos.

After such a good performance, the defeat could have unforeseen consequences events on the squad’s confidence, with Richarlison and Guglielmo Vicario clearly affected by the loss.

Paul Robinson: UEFA Super Cup defeat could be damaging for Tottenham

For the majority of the match, Tottenham were the better side against PSG.

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Thomas Frank’s side controlled the match and rarely let the Champions League winners have a chance on goal.

Yet, a large surge saw PSG dominate, and they could have easily won the match before penalties.

Now Paul Robinson has told BBC Five Live on 13 August that he is concerned about the impact the defeat could have on Spurs, highlighting Richarlison’s and Vicario’s reaction to the defeat.

He said: “They have players who know how to get over the line and know how to win trophies.

“I think this will be damaging for Tottenham, I really do. The situation they were in, 2-0 up with five minutes to go.

“Seeing the players on the pitch now, they are all stood individually, there is little groups, little huddles.

“Papa Sarr is down crouched over on his haunches, Richarlison is stood on his own on the edge of the box, Vicario still hasn’t moved from the 18-yard box.

“They are absolutely devastated. They were so close; this could have been so big for Tottenham. They got the trophy they so longingly waited for at the end of last season, and this could have been a real step forward for Tottenham, but instead, it is a real blow.

“When you analyse it and take the pieces out of it, you will say it was a decent performance, there was a lot of positives, but they’ve given away a two-goal lead and ended up losing a game in the last five minutes.

“I think this will hurt and I just hope there is no lasting damage going into the season.”

Thomas Frank has to ensure Spurs beat Burnley

Following the defeat, Spurs will now prepare to face Burnley for their Premier League opener on Saturday.

After such a crucial loss against PSG, Frank has to ensure that they beat the newly promoted side comfortably at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

If not, all their good work from pre-season could be quickly undone, with pressure mounting on the Dane.

Realistically, there are far more positives to take away from Wednesday’s loss than negatives, and Frank has to ensure this is reflected in Saturday’s performance.

Frank must get rid of Spence over shocking stat – Three things learned in Tottenham vs PSG

PSG beat Tottenham to win the UEFA Super Cup in dramatic fashion on Wednesday night.

After 90 minutes, the scoreline at the Bluenergy Stadium was 2-2, with Micky van de Ven and captain Cristian Romero scoring for Spurs, before Kang-in Lee and Goncalo Ramos found the back of the net for the French side late on.

The game went to penalties and PSG ended up winning the shootout 4-3.

Here are three things Tottenham News learned from the game:

Djed Spence was off the mark for Tottenham

Djed Spence started at left-back and while he did have some promising moments defensively, it wasn’t an entirely stellar evening for him.

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His pass accuracy was an appalling 53 per cent and he could complete just 10 passes all game.

Going forward, too, he was ineffective and failed to complete any crosses and was off the mark with all three of his long passes.

The English full-back also struggled to complete a single dribble throughout the 90 minutes and Thomas Frank will demand more from Spence in the games ahead if he wants to play regularly.

This display also could have made up the manager’s mind to either loan him out or cash in on him, as he needs big-game players at the club.

Romero puts in a Man of the Match performance for Frank

Romero was a colossus for the North London side in defence and stood up to the occasion in a cup final.

The Argentine has been a fan favourite at Spurs and this performance showed exactly why he’s so highly-regarded.

Not only did he find the back of the net, but he also put in a terrific shift on the defensive side of things, winning tackles and making important clearances.

Aerially, he also kept the PSG attackers at bay, winning most of his headers and was unfortunate to end up on the losing side.

Frank needs to help get rid of the Spursy tag

Tottenham have been infamously labelled “Spursy” for their inability to hold onto leads and this was a classic example.

They started strongly, took a two-goal lead and had to see out the game against a side that did not have too much time for pre-season training.

The Danish manager needs to make his team hard to beat and defensively solid under pressure if he is to become a success at the club.

This was an early learning experience for him and hopefully, he’s got a good read on his squad.

‘Scandalous, shocking’ incident in Tottenham defeat vs PSG outrages Ally McCoist

Tottenham’s defeat against Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup wasn’t without its flashpoints on Wednesday night.

Thomas Frank will have been happy with how Spurs performed in Udine, Italy, until their hopes of a second piece of silverware in three months were dashed by a late PSG comeback.

Defenders Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero were both on the scoresheet either side of half-time to give Tottenham a commanding lead.

PSG substitute Lee Kang-in then netted in the 85th minute before Goncalo Ramos bagged in the fourth minute of stoppage time at the end of the game.

In the penalty shoot-out, Tottenham again held a two-goal lead when Vitinha missed his opening spot-kick. However, misses from Van de Ven and Mathys Tel opened the door for PSG to win their first ever Super Cup title.

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Ally McCoist blasts PSG defence

Romero, 27, has spent most of the summer being linked with Atletico Madrid.

Not many would have expected to see Romero lining up against PSG in the Super Cup wearing the captain’s armband – and he was almost the man to score the title-winning goal at Stadio Friuli.

PSG didn’t half make it easy for Romero to score with their lax defending at Pedro Porro’s free-kick.

Porro was able to get the ball over to a completely unmarked Romero at PSG’s backpost, with the Spurs star going on to prod a header past Lucas Chevalier in goal.

Scottish football pundit Ally McCoist was in utter disbelief about the way PSG’s defence failed to pick up Romero, while also criticising Chevalier’s attempt at keeping the ball out of his net.

“Brilliant movement from [Romero] – but it’s shocking defending. They’ve not picked him up,” said McCoist on TNT Sports 1 after Romero’s goal on Wednesday night.

“It’s scandalous, to tell you the truth, but take nothing away from the move.

“I said to you, they’ll play it into the back-post area and that’s exactly what [Porro] did.

“The goalkeeper’s got to do a lot better but look at the space Romero’s got. He doesn’t stand there, he gets there.

“I can’t believe he’s got that much space. He just drifts to a back-post area – you could see it happening.

“He times his header very, very well and the goalkeeper, I think, should do a lot better.”

How much money do Spurs win despite Super Cup loss?

Well, there’s good news for Daniel Levy.

Winning the Europa League last season meant that no matter the outcome against PSG, Spurs were guaranteed to pick up £3.4million.

PSG, however, have bagged £4.3million from their victory against Tottenham.

Every little helps for a thrifty chairman like Levy.

But there’s no doubt that the Tottenham chief will have had his eyes laser-focused on a second piece of silverware this year and that extra £900,000.

Tottenham entered their UEFA Super Cup clash against PSG as major underdogs, yet for most of the game, they made the Champions League winners look bang average.

In Thomas Frank’s first competitive game in charge, Tottenham were impressive against PSG, racing into a two-goal lead thanks to strikes from Micky Van de Ven and Cristian Romero.

Spurs were in the ascendancy for the majority of the contest before the French giants produced a late fightback. Kang-in Lee’s stunning strike halved the deficit before Goncalo Ramos equalised in the 94th minute to take the game to penalties.

Sadly, Tottenham lost on penalties to PSG and supporters were left devastated by the outcome, yet one player received huge plaudits.

Tottenham fans were impressed with Richarlison vs PSG

The arrival of Frank has presented the opportunity for every player to have a clean slate, and someone thankful for a second chance at Tottenham is Richarlison.

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The 28-year-old suffered an injury-hit 2024/25 campaign that restricted him to just four Premier League starts under Ange Postecoglou.

Unfortunately, since completing his transfer to Tottenham in 2022, the Brazilian has struggled to live up to his whopping £60million price tag.

Richarlison has been linked with an exit this summer, but as Spurs are light on forward options, the former Everton man looks set to stay.

On Wednesday night, he was given the nod ahead of the returning Dominic Solanke against PSG, and the striker produced arguably one of his best performances in a Tottenham shirt.

Reacting to his performance via X, one supporter wrote: “I take back everything I’ve ever said about Richarlison, he’s been on fire today.”

“Richarlison is having an all timer. He bleeds blue and white. What a player!” someone else exclaimed.

“Richarlison has been brilliant,” another said.

“Aside from the CBs, but Spence, Sarr and Richarlison have been absolutely fantastic tonight,” one fan replied while a sixth commented: “People won’t notice, but Richarlison has been brilliant.”

“Kudus and Richarlison have been good so far,” a seventh said.

Richarlison’s stats vs PSG

Richarlison led the line superbly alongside Mohammed Kudus, setting the tone with his incredible pressing and work rate.

The Brazilian was also excellent at linking play, dropping deep to receive possession, but also offering an outlet in behind.

Richarlison’s stats vs PSG

It was a display that has been few and far between since completing his move to Spurs, with the above statistics painting a picture of his positive influence.

If Richarlison can carry this form into the Premier League, he will offer the perfect support for Solanke in attack.

Tottenham locked horns with PSG in the UEFA Super Cup, but it wasn’t just matters on the pitch that stole the headlines.

Tottenham faced the daunting task of overcoming Champions League winners PSG in the UEFA Super Cup.

Daniel Levy wasn’t in attendance for the match as he was present in the United States due to his daughter starting university.

Levy has been scrutinised throughout his time as Spurs chairman, especially during this summer transfer window, where Thomas Frank has had to wait patiently for incomings.

Fabio Paratici spotted in conversation with Johan Lange

Earlier in the window, Spurs confirmed the signing of Mohammed Kudus, along with the additions of Mathys Tel, Kevin Danso, Luka Vuskovic, Kota Takai, and Joao Palhinha on loan.

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But following James Maddison’s ACL injury, Tottenham have entered the market for extra attacking depth, most notably on the wing and centrally.

Tottenham are lining up a second approach for Savinho; meanwhile, the Lilywhites are also in talks with Crystal Palace over the pursuit of Eberechi Eze.

So, during the Super Cup clash in Udine, there was no surprise that Fabio Paratici was spotted in an ‘extensive pre-game chat’ with technical director Johan Lange.

Tottenham have until Friday (14 August) to sign Eberechi Eze for his £68 million release, and he appears to be their number one target to replace Maddison.

How Tottenham can have a successful window

After a disappointing 2024/25 league campaign, Spurs will be hopeful of a much-improved 2025/26 season if they can invest in the correct positions.

Spurs’ signings so far:

The addition of Savinho to offer them quality in wide areas would be superb, while successfully capturing Eze would be a real statement of intent.

Tottenham are hoping to challenge for Europe in 2025/26 and those two signings would play a major role.

Here’s why Daniel Levy is in USA instead of attending Tottenham v PSG in UEFA Super Cup

Daniel Levy has not been a popular figure at Tottenham over the years and he may be about to anger fans once again.

The Lilywhites chairman has gained a reputation for being stingy with his cash, and that has resulted in the club missing out on several key transfer targets over the years.

Levy has seemed intent on backing Thomas Frank this summer, as he aims to vindicate his decision to sack Ange Postecoglou.

Levy misses UEFA Super Cup final to help his daughter at university

Thomas Frank’s first competitive assignment at Spurs is the daunting prospect of a clash with PSG in the UEFA Super Cup.

The French giants dismantled Inter Milan in the Champions League final back in May, and are undoubtedly one of he most fearsome prospects in world football at the moment.

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The new boss will be desperate to get off to a good start with the N17 outfit, and he would surely have valued the support of the chairman at the game.

However, Levy is not in attendance for Spurs’ latest European final.

The 62-year-old’s absence is understood to be due to his daughter starting university in the USA, according to Alasdair Gold via X.

The Tottenham chief is currently stateside with the rest of his family and has been forced to miss the game as a result.

Frank will be frustrated by Levy’s absence for Tottenham final

Frank will understandably be a little miffed by Levy’s inability to attend his first competitive outing in the dugout for Spurs.

The Dane was personally selected by the chairman to take charge at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and he will be well aware of the pressure that he is under to begin to turn around one of the country’s most prestigious clubs.

He has largely had the support of Levy when it comes to doing transfer business in the summer, but the pair will once again be tested now that replacements are needed for both Son Heung-min and James Maddison.

If Levy cannot secure top-quality cover in the final few weeks of the transfer window, then Frank will arguably find himself on the back foot before his time at Spurs has even properly begun.

He will need to operate as a tandem with Levy, and with that in mind, he has every right to be a bit frustrated by his chairman’s no-show in Udine.