Tottenham Hotspur will not embark on another money-spinning post-season tour next summer amid chairman Daniel Levy’s declaration that he and the club would like to see less games.
Levy, together with head coach Ange Postecoglou and captain Son Heung-min, addressed the issue at a Tottenham fans’ forum, claiming the club “would like to see less games, but higher-quality games”.
That was seemingly at odds with Tottenham’s post-season trip to Australia at the end of the last campaign, when Postecoglou’s team played Newcastle United in a friendly in Melbourne.
Postecoglou and Son have added their their voices to the growing number of coaches and players who believe the fixture calendar needs to be reduced, and the pair will be relieved that there will be no repeat of the Australia trip at the end of this season.
The decision not to embark on another post-season tour is consistent with Postecoglou’s claim that the club would not have travelled to Australia in May had they competed in Europe last term.
Tottenham are in the Europa League this season, which means the squad face a much busier schedule than last term. The final of the Europa League is scheduled to take place on May 21, four days before the last Premier League game of the season.
Speaking in May about Tottenham’s post-season tour, Postecoglou said: “Our situation is a bit different from Newcastle’s. They’ve had a European season, Champions League, it’s been a big season. We haven’t. It’s no secret part of this is exposure but also revenue for us.
“I certainly wouldn’t have allowed it to happen if we were in Europe this year and had a bigger game schedule. I probably would have said no to it.
“And I don’t think the club would have expected us to go. If we’re in Europe next year, I don’t think you’ll be seeing this happen.
“I don’t think it’s ideal. But I think each situation is unique. For us, on the back of our season, to play one more game two days after the end of the season, there is substance to it for us.”