By Aaron Patel
On Sunday, the new Tottenham Hotspur stadium hosted its first ever competitive match as Spurs’s under-18 side beat Southampton under-18’s 3-1. In what was an emotional and triumphant day for everyone at the club, the future can now be looked at with a lot of hope for the north London side.
A long, delayed time in coming
New Spurs Stadium finally opened on Sunday
Plans for the new stadium were first announced in 2008, and then a year later those plans were officially submitted. At the time, the club were in a period of transition as they were battling for Europa League football, a narrative which has changed since. Two years ago, the club played their final game at White Hart Lane, beating Manchester United 2-1. For the past two seasons proceeding their departure from their former home, they have played their competitive home fixtures at Wembley.
What was once an exciting prospect slowly turned into a worn-off novelty, which grew into frustration for the supporters , who constantly questioned when they would finally play fixtures in their new stadium. Delay after delay for over two seasons, the club are finally now out of the national stadium and ready to take centre stage in their new home. A huge sigh of relief can be let out for the players, staff, and supporters alike.
talkSPORT commentator Ian Abrahams said it was the “best stadium I’ve seen around the world”. Abrahams also said he believes that Spurs have timed everything to perfection: “I think the time about it is absolutely perfect, what Tottenham are doing.”
A new era can formally begin
Under-18 side prepare for their clash against Southampton on Sunday at the new Spurs stadium
It goes without saying that since his arrival at Spurs, manager Mauricio Pochettino has done a wonderful job. Taking a stuttering Spurs side and transforming them into title contenders is a testament to the work he has done. However, despite the success in the past few seasons, the unclear situation with the new stadium casted a cloud of doubt over the club’s direction at times. Playing their home fixtures at Wembley was essentially far from ideal, and it ultimately took away the aesthetic of a homely feeling.
Pochettino is yet to win silverware at Spurs which has raised questions but now with the new stadium ready, there is an opportunity for the club to formally begin a new era, which can be led by the Argentine manager and his philosophies which have galvanised the club. With the club heading in the right direction, the added element of the new stadium will only boost morale for everyone and with that comes Pochettino’s get-up-and-go attitude, which has enabled Spurs to become the side they are today.
Pochettino’s optimism remains as high as ever
Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino seen on the pitch at half-time addressing supporters.
Manager Mauricio Pochettino was present at the under-18s game on Sunday. The 47-year-old will perhaps be the most relieved person at the club, as he can now move forward with his side and finally return to a place they can call home. During half-time on Sunday, Pochettino was on the pitch and said: “We all feel the same, so excited. I got the same feeling when we left White Hart Lane on the last day, we were crying and now in the first day in the new stadium we feel the same emotion.”
The past seasons have been tough for the club at times, but they have continued to maintain contention at the top of the Premier League and consistent UEFA Champions League football.
In what can be described as an emotional statement from the Spurs boss, he said: “We need to cry because our dream became true.”
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