New Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank has declared Thursday’s pre-season North London Derby against Arsenal in Hong Kong his first “great challenge” since taking charge — and insisted it’s “more than just a friendly.”
Speaking to reporters at the sold-out 50,000-capacity Kai Tak Stadium, Frank acknowledged both the rivalry and the scale of the encounter.
“It’s a great challenge,” said the Danish tactician. “Besides being our big rivals — and the first North London Derby outside the UK — they are also, I must say unfortunately, one of the best teams in the world right now.”
Frank replaced Ange Postecoglou last month after the Australian was dismissed despite delivering Tottenham’s long-awaited Europa League triumph — their first trophy in 17 years.
Tottenham’s preparations have included the marquee signing of Ghanaian playmaker Mohammed Kudus from West Ham for $74 million, although attempts to land Morgan Gibbs-White from Nottingham Forest have been unsuccessful.
Frank remained tight-lipped about further transfer moves:
“We’re always discussing possible transfers, but I prefer to keep that private,” he said. “In general, I’m happy with the squad. Mohammed has already shown his quality, but we are still looking.”
🏥 Fitness & Injury Updates:
Injury woes plagued Spurs last season as they slumped to a disappointing 17th-place finish. One of the key absentees was Dutch center-back Micky van de Ven, who missed a large portion of the campaign.
Now fully fit after his first proper summer with the squad, Van de Ven is confident ahead of the new season:
“It’s more time to prepare my body for the Premier League, Champions League, and other competitions,” the 24-year-old told AFP.
Frank emphasized the importance of squad fitness, noting:
“Availability is key. There are more matches, greater intensity. But with a long pre-season, we’ve been able to push and pull the players the right way. We’ve made adjustments, and hopefully, they pay off.”
