In a friendly match held in South Korea, Tottenham lost 1-2 to Bayern Munich. After the game, Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou pointed out in an interview that the result of the friendly is not important, and that Spurs frequently changed players’ positions due to many absences. At the same time, he praised the level of South Korean players.
Postecoglou said, “This was a tough game for us. The players felt the effects of our intense training over the past ten days. We weren’t sharp, especially in the first half. However, I believe we will gain significant benefits from these ten days of training. Training hard in the heat, most of the players have overcome difficulties, and when we return to Europe, the players will feel the benefits of this effort.”
Currently, some Tottenham players are absent due to various reasons, such as post-tournament vacations or physical conditions. Postecoglou believes this is why they lost the friendly: “I had many players playing in unfamiliar positions? I think the players filling in did well, like Jamie Donley and Emerson playing center-back. When we return to Europe, we will integrate the players who are about to return, and we still have two weeks to prepare for the upcoming new season. Of our starting back four, three were not present, which is something everyone knows. But pre-season games are to prepare for a season. As far as I know, friendly matches don’t give you points, so it’s important to make full use of these ten days and prepare for the league.”
As a coach, Postecoglou has worked with South Korean players at multiple teams, including in Australia, the J-League, and Tottenham. He stated, “I’ve lived in East Asia for a long time and have a good understanding of the culture here, forging connections with South Korean players. South Korean players are well-prepared mentally, physically, and technically, possessing all the elements required for football, and there are currently many South Korean players in high-level European leagues. With South Korea’s young players constantly improving in terms of physicality and technique, I believe more will enter the highest levels of European football in the future.”