An exciting week of football will come to Australia this May with the Global Football Week – Melbourne. The three-game series will feature Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham Hotspur taking on Premier League side Newcastle United, as well as for the first-time visiting Australia, the Arsenal Women will take on the A-League All Stars Women. This historic match-up will be a double-header with Newcastle United taking on the A-League All Stars Men.
This will be the first time Ange Postecoglou has been back to his hometown of Melbourne with his English Premier League side that features an array of talent including South Korea’s Son Heung-Min, Brazilian forward Richarlison and English midfielder, James Maddison.
Newcastle United last visited Oceania in 2014 where they beat Sydney FC and Wellington Phoenix in New Zealand. The side nicknamed the Magpies boasts a strong following globally and has had success in recent years, placing fourth in the Premier League last season to qualify for the UEFA Champions League.
For Arsenal Women, this will be their first visit to Australia and it provides an exciting opportunity for Matildas’ fans to witness some of Arsenal’s Australian heroes including Victoria’s own Steph Catley and Kyra Cooney-Cross as well as Caitlin Foord.
The MCG will host Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United on Wednesday May 22 at 7:45PM with the A-League All Stars doubleheader scheduled for Friday, May 24 at Marvel Stadium at 5:15pm kick off for game 1 and 8:05pm for game 2.
Newcastle will open the doubleheader on the Friday against the A-League All Stars Men, this game will be followed by Arsenal Women taking on the A-League All Stars Women, this game will be the first time that a women’s A-League All Stars team has been formed.
Spurs Assistant Coach and former Socceroo, Mile Jedinak as well as Chief Football Officer, Scott Munn were alongside Minister for Sports and Tourism, Steve Dimopoulos, former Arsenal Women’s and current Matilda and Melbourne Victory goalkeeper, Lydia Williams, plus Melbourne Victory winger Daniel Arzani and APL Independent Chair Stephen Conroy in Melbourne to announce the matches.
Scott Munn, Tottenham Hotspur Chief Football Officer, said:
“We are delighted to be heading to Melbourne for a post-season fixture against Newcastle United.
“Being able to take our team overseas is always a huge honour. We have amazing global support and to have the opportunity to connect with those fans who may be based thousands of miles away but are still fanatical about the Club, is truly special.
“When we visited Perth last summer we were blown away by the warmth shown to us by our Australian fans, and I know it will be the same in Melbourne.
“I speak on behalf of all our players and staff in saying how much we are looking forward to this trip.”
Newcastle United Head Coach Eddie Howe said: “This is a great opportunity to showcase Newcastle United at two iconic venues in an iconic city as the club continues to grow globally.
“We are privileged to have so many incredible supporters around the world, and it’s a chance to be able to play in front of many in Australia who wouldn’t ordinarily get the chance to see the team.
“We look forward to engaging with our supporters in Melbourne and giving them the opportunity to feel closer to the club.”
Commenting on the announcement, APL Independent Chair, Stephen Conroy said;
“This is a fantastic event for the A-Leagues, for our players to play against the best in the world and for our fans to see our best local talent up against some giants of English football.
“This is also the first-time ever we have assembled a women’s A-League All Stars team, and what a fantastic challenge for the stars of the Liberty A-League Women to take on one of the best teams in world football, Arsenal Women FC.
“Arsenal Women and CommBank Matildas’ stars Foord, Catley and Cooney-Cross got their break in the Liberty A-League Women and it’s going to be fantastic to see them back on home soil playing against former teammates and the next generation of local stars.
“It’s set to be a huge month of football in May, with the Liberty A-League Women’s grand final, Isuzu UTE A-League Men’s final series and grand final, and these two All Stars fixtures – providing another fantastic opportunity for the stars of the A-Leagues to perform on the world stage.”
Geoff Jones, Group CEO of TEG said:
“What a huge moment in sport today with the announcement of the Global Football Week Melbourne, where we will see Tottenham Hotspur taking on Newcastle United at the MCG and a double header at Marvel seeing Arsenal Women taking on A League Allstars Women, along with A League Allstars Men vs Newcastle United FC.
“These matches will also mark the first time a Women’s Super League (WSL) side has played in Australia headlined by three of the Matilda superstars, as well as a homecoming for Ange Postecoglou, who has gone from strength to strength since signing to the EPL’s Tottenham Hotspur.
“These games will bring a week of international football games and events to the fans here in Australia, it’s something no sports fan would want to miss!
The support of Football Australia is acknowledged for sanctioning the Global Football Week event as the Member Association in Australia under the umbrella of FIFA. This sanction and the role of Football Australia provides an invaluable contribution to bringing this prestigious event to fruition in Melbourne.
MATCH INFORMATION
Matchday 1
Tottenham v Newcastle United
Kick Off: 19:45, MCG
May 22, 2024
Matchday 2
Newcastle United vs A-League All Stars Men
Kick Off: 17:15, Marvel Stadium
Arsenal Women vs A-League All Stars Woemn
Kick Off: 20:05, Marvel Stadium
May 24, 2024
TICKETING INFORMATION
Tickets from $59 and on Sale via Ticketek 12pm Thursday 28th March or join the waitlist at www.TEGSport.com.au to secure access to pre-sale on Wednesday 27th March.
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