Auckland FC played host to a record-setting 40,112 spectators at Eden Park against Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur, the first of two matches in the New Zealand International Football Festival.
Auckland FC returned to the pitch for the first time since lifting the A-League championship in May, this time to a 40,000-strong attendance at Eden Park against one of the Premier League’s traditional ‘big-six’ sides.
The match was the first time since 2014 that a Premier League side had visited New Zealand, and the fans in the stands reflected that, with the record-setting attendance demonstrating the recent growth of football in New Zealand.
The game ended 2-0 to Spurs with poachers’ finishes in either half from Dane Scarlett and Richarlison, but the scoreline mattered very little to supporters, who bore the weather to catch a glimpse of the Premier League side and the wealth of international talent on display.
Auckland FC’s Interim Head Coach, Luke Casserly, highlighted the wealth of talent on the pitch post-match.
“It’s a fantastic experience, great for our players and great for the fans that were here that they got to see those big names.”
Some of those big names included first team regulars Archie Gray and Mikey Moore, who started the match. Ben Davies, Mathys Tel, Conor Gallagher, Richarlison and Mateus Fernandes appeared off the bench in the second half.
The scale of the talent on display is best illustrated by Tottenham Hotspur’s new club-record signing, Mateus Fernandes, who joined from West Ham United for a reported 100 million Euros – a fee that alone exceeds the combined value of every squad in the A-League.
After this match, Spurs will now move on to Sydney to continue their preseason schedule; however, the club had nothing but good things to say about their short time in Auckland.
“It’s a great experience for us,” said Tottenham Hotspur Head Coach, Roberto De Zerbi.
“Unfortunately, we cannot stay more days to visit this country, because the atmosphere in this country, the culture, is great for us from another country, another world, and it would have been a great experience for us to stay longer.
“We are very happy when people in other countries are so close to us. Tottenham is not just for the UK; it’s for all parts of the world, and for that we wanted to play well, seriously, to make our fans in another country happy.”
“It’s been nice; all the people have been very welcoming, and there’s a big support out here,” said Tottenham Hotspur winger Mikey Moore.
“There was a massive turnout at the game, which was nice to see. Obviously so many people in the stadium, so it made it a good experience for all of us and some of the young boys who hadn’t experienced that many people in a stadium before.”
The Spurs players did a lap of the pitch after full-time, thanking the fans for their support and showing appreciation to their large Spurs fanbase in New Zealand to cap off a milestone moment for football in this country.
Nick Becker, Auckland FC CEO, was proud the club was part of such an occasion.
“I think it is a marker of how far we’ve come as a club and how the city has embraced football,” says Becker.
“It’s been 14 years since we last had a Premier League team here, nine years since that famous game against Peru down in Wellington. To eclipse those games and those occasions with this game against Spurs on Sunday, I think justifies the investment the Government has made, and the support we’ve had from Auckland Council.”
The New Zealand International Football Festival returns to Eden Park with an Invitational Auckland FC Women’s squad set to go up against the dominant, eight-time WSL champions, Chelsea FC Women, on Saturday 8 August at 4 pm at Eden Park in a landmark moment for New Zealand football.
For the first time, local stars take the pitch against one of the world’s most dominant clubs in the NZ International Football Festival.
Get your tickets here.
