A Champions League record will be broken on Wednesday night when Tottenham Hotspur begin their latest European campaign with a designated home game against AS Monaco at Wembley Stadium.
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I’m told that ticket sales are going well and that Spurs will be playing their Champions League group games in front of sell-out crowds at Wembley, so the revenue flow from those games will be fantastic for the club’s finances.
Tottenham are now building their new stadium next to their existing White Hart Lane ground, meaning the club’s Champions League fixtures will take place at the national stadium.
It will be the best-attended Champions League home game ever played in Britain, although Spurs would need to fill Wembley to set a record for a Champions League match, with 87,695 having watched Barcelona’s victory over Manchester United in the 2011 final, also at Wembley.
While Champions League football is what Tottenham have been striving to achieve for many years now, they have a challenge on their hands to make sure they do not allow their European commitments to detract from their ambitions to succeed in the Premier League.
Eric Dier has said the Premier League is Tottenham’s priority this season, while the Champions League is a “lovely distraction”. “What a way for us to mark our return to the competition”.
Rivals Arsenal also used Wembley for Champions League home matches in 1998 and 1999, attracting crowds of around 70,000.
Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino said: “Now we have the possibility to bring 90,000 people”.
“We’ve got a very good squad and everyone is very positive about it”.
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“We will try to play in the same way as when we play at White Hart Lane”.
