Australian football fans will get to see two of the English Premier League’s best clubs up close at the MCG on Wednesday night with Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United landing in Melbourne.
But while it’s a homecoming for Tottenham’s Aussie coach Ange Postecoglou, the fact the match is coming just three days the end of the English Premier League season has raised more than a few eyebrows.
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Both clubs finished their season with wins as Tottenham downed Sheffield United 3-0, while Newcastle beat Brentford 4-2.
Tottenham will be playing European football next year after qualifying for the Europa League for finishing fifth, Newcastle await the result of the FA Cup final.
If Manchester City win the FA Cup, Newcastle will go to the Europa Conference League, with Chelsea straight into the Europa League. But if Manchester United win, they’ll go to the Europa League, Chelsea will go to the Europa Conference League, and Newcastle will miss out.
After 38 matches in the EPL season, as well as Cup ties and, for teams such as Newcastle who finished top four last year, Champions League matches, it ends up being a long season.
That doesn’t even take into account International matches for those selected.
It makes it a long year for the best of the best and Newcastle defender Kieran Trippier, who is expected to selected in England’s Euros squad, said: “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 (Atletico) Madrid but from my own experience of it, in a tournament year it’s not ideal.
“We’re players, we’ve got to do what’s right for the club. When we’re there, it’ll be good, we’ll embrace it and experience it.”
He added it’s a long trip from England to Australia, but said: “It’s one of those where you just have to get on with it.”
Newcastle not only play Tottenham on Wednesday but will face off against the A-League All-Stars on Friday at Marvel Stadium.
Even Postecoglou said it was a tough situation, claiming if Tottenham had played in Europe this season they wouldn’t have travelled to Melbourne.
“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,” Postecoglou said.
“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.”
Postecoglou had previously said in March the game was a “unique opportunity” and argued it would be “really beneficial for us as a football club”.
Newcastle club legend and former England captain Alan Shearer has blasted the move as the stars had to take a 24-hour flight to Australia straight after finishing the gruelling Premier League season.
Speaking on the BBC’s Match of the Day highlights show, Shearer unloaded on the decision.
“Can you imagine if you’re a player who is playing in either the Copa America or Euro 2024 having to do that? Madness. Crazy,” he said.
The Euros start June 15 (Australian time) with some friendlies in the lead up, while Copa America kicks off June 21 (AU time).
Social media was baffled by the move so close from the end of the EPL season.
Football writer Rebekka Arnold tweeted: “I have to say the fact that Newcastle and Tottenham Hotspur are flying out to Australia to play a friendly three days after the season has finished is the definition of why modern football is so stupid.”
Other fans hit out at the decision as well.
“The FA: We’re stopping FA Cup replays next season because of too many games.
“Newcastle and Tottenham: we’re just flying to Australia to play a post season friendly … against each other,” one fan wrote.
Another commented: “Premier League season ended less than 48 hours ago and Newcastle play against Tottenham tomorrow night in Melbourne. What the f**k is going on with the game. Give people a break, Jesus Christ.”
A third commented: “I genuinely do not understand this Australia tour by Newcastle United and Tottenham.”
The UK’s Telegraph also hit out at the hypocrisy of flying teams 17,000km across the world, which the paper argues “makes a mockery of such gimmicks as the Premier League’s ‘green weekend’.”
Frank Huisingh, the founder of Fossil Free Football, which is a group of football fans aiming to “free football from big polluters”, told Telegraph Sport: “I am not surprised, but I am disappointed. It’s unfortunate that flying has become normalised in football, and this is just the latest example.”