Tottenham Hotspur are embarking on a tour of Asia and the Pacific for their first pre-season under Ange Postecoglou in 2023. So, here is everything you need to know about their plans.
The north London natives will take on Premier League and European opposition in Australia, Thailand and Singapore this summer. Spurs scheduled their third visit to Australia in the last eight years before naming Postecoglou as their manager with the tour announced in March.
Antonio Conte took Tottenham to South Korea for their 2022 pre-season tour as Son Heung-Min played on home soil. While their trip Down Under in 2023 now serves as a homecoming for Postecoglou. So, here is everything you need to know about Tottenham’s pre-season…When does Tottenham Hotspur’s pre-season start?
The Tottenham Hotspur first-team squad regrouped at Hotspur Way on July 1, 2023 to start their first pre-season with Postecoglou. The Australian sought to gather his new players on the head coach’s first official day in charge. Those on international duty were not due back.
July 1 was Postecoglou’s first official day as Tottenham’s gaffer after he agreed to fill Conte’s void on June 6. Spurs hired the Australian as their new coach from Celtic and awarded him a four-year contract. Tottenham’s stars underwent fitness tests on the first day of pre-season.
Tottenham Hotspur’s fixture list for their 2023 pre-season
Tottenham Hotspur v West Ham United – Premier League
Photo by Rob Newell – CameraSport via Getty Images
As of July 12, Tottenham have planned five friendlies, including their 2023 pre-season tour of Asia and the Pacific. Their tour sees Spurs play a London derby with West Ham United in Perth, Australia. They also face Leicester City in Thailand and Lion City Sailors in Singapore.
Tottenham drew 1-1 at London Stadium in August 2022 before beating West Ham 2-0 during February in their two Premier League matches against the Irons in 2022/23. Spurs also beat Leicester 6-2 on home soil in September but lost 4-1 at the King Power Stadium in February.
The Foxes will now meet Tottenham in Bangkok during Spurs’ first-ever trip to Thailand. But Leicester will not feature as top-flight opposition after their relegation to the Championship. Lion City Sailors then await Tottenham in their second trip to Singapore in the last four years.
Tottenham Hotspur v AS Roma – Pre-Season Friendly
Photo by Luciano Rossi/AS Roma via Getty Images
Tottenham were due to face AS Roma in Singapore but Jose Mourinho’s Serie A squad pulled out of the friendly. The Giallorossi withdrew from the fixture following the cancellation of the club’s intended tour of Korea. So, Spurs will face Lion City Sailors in The Tiger Cup instead.
Roma claimed a win over Tottenham in 2022 having met at the Haifa International Stadium in Israel last July in a pre-season friendly. Roger Ibanez gave Mourinho a 1-0 win over his old squad. The Portuguese coach was Tottenham’s manager from November 2019 to April 2021.
Shakhtar Donetsk, meanwhile, will fly to north London at the start of August for Tottenham’s only 2023 pre-season friendly on home soil. The tie is aimed at raising funds for Shakhtar’s charitable foundation established for supporting the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Ukraine.
Spurs also improved their 2023 pre-season plans after accepting FC Barcelona’s invitation to contest the Joan Gamper Trophy. It is the La Liga giant’s annual curtain-raiser before their first fixture of the Spanish top-flight season. Tottenham previously contested the tie in 1986.
In addition to the friendlies, Tottenham will also hold open training sessions during their pre-season tour of Asia and the Pacific in 2023. Supporters can watch Postecoglou’s squad get up to speed in Bangkok and Singapore a day before ties with Leicester and Lion City Sailors.
July 18, 12:00 BST: Tottenham vs West Ham, Optus Stadium, Perth
July 22, 12:00 BST: Open training session, Rajamangala Stadium, Bangkok
July 23, 11:00 BST: Tottenham vs Leicester, Rajamangala Stadium, Bangkok
July 25, 11:00 BST: Open training session, Singapore National Stadium, Kallang
July 26, 12:30 BST: Tottenham vs Lion City Sailors, Singapore National Stadium, Kallang
August 6, 14:00 BST: Tottenham vs Shakhtar Donetsk, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London
August 8, 19:00 BST: FC Barcelona vs Tottenham, Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys, Barcelona
Tottenham Hotspur v AC Milan: Round of 16 Second Leg – UEFA Champions League
Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images
How to watch Tottenham Hotspur’s 2023 pre-season fixtures
Tottenham Hotspur have confirmed that the club’s in-house media channel, SPURSPLAY, will have exclusive coverage in the UK of their 2023 pre-season. Fans can also use SPURSPLAY around the world, except for in Australia and Spain during Spurs’ fixtures in those countries.
Tickets for Tottenham Hotspur’s summer schedule
Tickets for Tottenham Hotspur’s friendlies with West Ham, Leicester and Lion City Sailors for their pre-season tour of Asia and the Pacific in 2023 have been on sale for months. Any fans who bought tickets for the originally-planned Roma tie can transfer it to the Lion City Sailors.
Season ticket holders and official Spurs members enjoyed priority access to tickets to attend Tottenham’s pre-season friendly against Shakhtar Donetsk. While Barcelona are selling away tickets for Tottenham’s visit to their temporary ground, the site of the 1992 Olympic games.
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