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After their contentious journey to Australia, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur square off in a post-season friendly on Wednesday, only three days after playing their final Premier League match of 2023–24.
The match between two clubs who were separated by just two spots and six points in the Premier League standings—Spurs in fifth position and Newcastle in seventh—will take place at the 100,000-seat Melbourne Cricket Ground.
While most players in the major European leagues are currently taking advantage of some well-earned downtime ahead of a hectic summer of international football, players at Newcastle and Tottenham have made the decision to travel to the opposite side of the globe for a friendly that has angered their respective players and supporters.
The England manager, Gareth Southgate, has also voiced his disapproval, saying the friendly abroad is 'not great news' for his preparations ahead of Euro 2024. Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou and Newcastle right-back Kieran Trippier have both admitted that the trip is "not ideal" after a long season.
From the outside looking in, it appears that the financial advantages and the chance to expand each fan base in Oceania surpass the worries many have about environmental issues and player welfare when traveling to Australia.
Spurs will return to the UK quickly from their short stay in Melbourne, while Newcastle will play the Australian A-League All Stars on Friday at Marvel Stadium as a follow-up to their match against the Lilywhites.
With a 4-2 victory against Brentford away from home, Eddie Howe's team put a strong finish to the 2023–24 Premier League season and gave themselves a realistic chance of playing in Europe the following year. The Magpies are headed for the Europa Conference League in 2024–25, but their path can only be possible if Manchester City defeats Manchester United in the FA Cup final.
After winning the Football United Tour in New Zealand in the summer of 2014 with wins against Sydney FC and Wellington Phoenix, Newcastle is making its first journey to Oceania.
The Magpies are now preparing for their match on Wednesday against Tottenham, a team they have defeated in three of their previous four encounters, most notably a resounding 4-0 league victory at St. James' Park in April.
However, four months prior, Spurs had defeated Newcastle 4-1 in the rematch in North London. They also won the 2023–24 Premier League season, winning 3-0 against Sheffield United, a cellar team, to secure a spot in the Europa League for the following year.
Only a few hours after their victory at Bramall Lane, the Lilywhites and their manager, Postecoglou, boarded a plane bound for Australia. Postecoglou will be visiting familiar ground as the Australian was born and raised in Melbourne and played for South Melbourne in the 1980s and early 1990s. In addition, he started his coaching career with the same group from 1996 to 2000. Before joining the Australia national team, he led Melbourne Victory for one season.
Spurs will be hoping that their most recent excursion to the MCG proves more fruitful than their last one in 2016, when they lost to Atletico Madrid and Juventus in friendly matches under managing Mauricio Pochettino.
