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Tottenham boarded a plane to Australia for a post-season friendly just hours after their 3-0 victory over Sheffield United in their final match of the Premier League season on Sunday.
Ange Postecoglou’s team have travelled to play Newcastle at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in the city the Spurs head coach calls home.
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The fixture has drawn criticism from climate change campaign groups, and raised questions over the extra demands it places on players amid a congested fixture calendar.
Newcastle defender Kieran Trippier has said on Thursday that the friendly on the other side of the world was “not ideal.”
“It’s not ideal because it’s a tournament year. I understand why the club are doing it. I’ve done it at Tottenham and [Atlético] Madrid but from my own experience of it, in a tournament year it’s not ideal.
Asked about Trippier’s comments, 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.”
Spurs confirmed their 24-man travelling squad on Sunday, with Cristian Romero and Pierre-Emile Højbjerg the only notable absentees.
Destiny Udogie, Timo Werner, Ben Davies, Richarlison, Yves Bissouma and Giovani Lo Celso, Fraser Forster, Ryan Sessegnon and Manor Solomon have also missed the trip as they recover from their respective injuries.
Meanwhile, on Sunday Spurs confirmed that they will travel to South Korea for a preseason tour where they will come up against Bayern Munich, raising the prospect of a reunion with Harry Kane and Eric Dier.
Postecoglou’s team will face the 32-time Bundesliga champions on Aug. 3 at the Seoul World Cup Stadium as part of the Coupang Play Series 2024.
It is the fourth time that Spurs have travelled for to play matches in captain Son Heung-Min‘s homeland.