Arsenal fans blast ‘stupid’ decision to hold first north London derby outside UK
Arsenal supporters have blaste the club’s ‘stupid’ decision to hold the first north London derby against Tottenham outside the United Kingdom.
The Gunners and Spurs both announce on Monday เล่นบาคาร่า UFABET เว็บตรง ค่าคอมสูง that they will play a pre-season match in Hong Kong at the 50,000-seater Kai Tak Stadium.
Arsenal’s friendly clash with their rivals will take place on Thursday, July 31 as the two Premier League sides get ready for the 2025-26 campaign.
There have mixe responses from Arsenal fans across social media, with some fearful of heavy tackles and the risk of injury to key players.
‘Not a great fixture,’ Arsenal supporter @Electrical-Lab-9593 poste on Reddit. ‘Could be crunching tackles we don’t need.’
A second Arsenal fan, @lardoni, said: ‘I don’t like it! It’s gonna get messy!…. Can’t we just batter them as usual in [the] season?’
‘This is so stupid,’ @AlanMerckin adde while @Imarnuel1702 poste: ‘Cos meeting that lot at least TWICE every season isn’t bad enough [sick emoji].’
Other Arsenal supporters praise the decision, seeing it as an opportunity to grow the fanbase in Asia and drive revenue to hopefully help the club in future transfer windows.
Arsenal’s managing director Richard Garlick explained the decision to play Spurs in Hong Kong via a statement on the club’s.
‘Everyone at Arsenal is excite to be visiting Hong Kong in July,’ he said. ‘It’s great to be back with our men’s first team squad after 13 years, and gives us the opportunity to meet so many of our fantastic supporters in the region again.
‘As well as training hard and playing the match, we cannot wait to connect with our Hong Kong supporters in this wonderful part of the world.
‘Playing against Tottenham Hotspur in the magnificent new Kai Tak Stadium will be a great experience for both teams and supporters, and will be a very important part of our pre-season preparations ahead of the new season.’
Tottenham’s chief revenue officer Ryan Norys adde: ‘There are few bigger occasions in English football than a north London derby.
‘To play this fixture in Hong Kong will be a huge occasion for our passionate fanbase across Asia, as well as providing ideal preparation for the team ahead of the new season.
As is tour tradition, the Club will be involve in so much more than the match itself when we visit, supporting charitable causes, celebrating local culture, delivering football clinics for young people and engaging with fans and partners.
‘We cannot wait to visit such a beautiful place once again.’
Arsenal beat Spurs twice this term, winning the first north London derby of the 2024-25 season 1-0 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in September.
The Gunners emerge victorious again when the two rivals met at the Emirates in January, with Mikel Arteta’s men registering a 2-1 victory.