Tottenham won’t give its players a long break right after the Premier League season as they will play a friendly game against Kitchee SC on 26th May.
The Premier League season ends on 21st May and Spurs will travel to Hong Kong on a post-season tour. The English league is followed by millions in Asia and it does make sense to tap into the market but more often than not such exhibition games are held during pre-season.
The decision to play the game in May wouldn’t please a number of England fans as the side take on Scotland in a World Cup qualifier on 10th of June. Hopefully, the Tottenham players will come out unscathed from the game, though they probably will be jetlagged.
Mauricio Pochettino was quick to share his excitement of playing against Kitchee and even acknowledged the rise and popularity of the Premier League in Asia.
“We are delighted to accept the invitation to return to Hong Kong to play against one of their top clubs Kitchee SC and play our part in the anniversary celebrations,” the Argentine said on the club’s website according to The Independent.
“We are aware of our growing popularity across Asia. This latest visit represents a great chance for us to engage with our loyal fans in the region and thank them for their fantastic support and the commitment they make to watching us at any hour of the day or night.
“It promises to be a fantastic experience for all the staff and players, some whom will be visiting Hong Kong for the first time, and a great way to conclude what has been an exciting season for the club.”
Tottenham even shared a Tweet where they confirmed their participation and asked fans to book tickets for the game.
We’re heading back to Hong Kong!
We’ll play Kitchee SC at the Hong Kong Stadium on 26 May.
Tickets / info – https://t.co/cryhZgA38Q pic.twitter.com/fRVQJ7j4IW
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) May 8, 2017
This isn’t the first time Tottenham have taken the unusual step of doing a post-season tour as they did visit Asia in 2015 and also visited the United States, Bahamas and Mauritius in recent times.