Tottenham Pre-Season Tour Shaken by Earthquake Shortly After Arrival in New Zealand

Tottenham Hotspur’s arrival in New Zealand for their pre-season tour took a dramatic turn after a 5.9 magnitude earthquake struck the country’s North Island just hours after the squad landed in Auckland. Tremors were registered around 146 miles south of the team's base, marking a startling start to their summer preparation down under.

Tremors Hit 150 Miles from Base

The seismic event occurred at 4:51 am local time on Saturday near the town of Taumarunui. Tracking service Geonet categorized the quake as 'severe', and tens of thousands of local residents reported feeling the movement. Authorities have warned the public to remain alert for potential aftershocks throughout the day.

While Tottenham are stationed roughly 150 miles further north in Auckland and were unlikely to have felt severe shaking, the travelling party would have received phone alerts regarding the quake. No major casualties or structural damage have been reported, though minor disruptions to local roads were noted.

Pre-Season Schedule Underway

Despite the event, Spurs are pressing ahead with their scheduled friendly fixtures across the region. Roberto De Zerbi’s squad is set to face reigning A-League champions Auckland FC at Eden Park before travelling onward for scheduled exhibition matches against Sydney FC and Premier League rivals Chelsea.

Squad Selection and Absentees

De Zerbi has taken a modified squad on the journey. Xavi Simons, Mohamed Kudus, Dejan Kulusevski, and Wilson Odobert have all remained behind in London to focus on injury rehabilitation programs.

Additionally, several key players have been excused from the tour. Club captain Cristian Romero and defender Djed Spence are among six squad members granted extra recovery time following their participation in the World Cup.