'Enjoying K-pop and Wearing Hanbok' World-Class Visitor to Korea... Soccer Fans Say "A Happy July"'

Tottenham to Play Against Team K League and Sevilla... All Seats Sold Out
Fan-Friendly Moves Inside and Outside the Stadium

The Tottenham squad of the English Premier League arrived through Incheon International Airport Terminal 2 on the afternoon of the 10th for their pre-season tour and are taking a commemorative photo with Son Heung-min, who came to greet them.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Woo-seok] "I am truly happy."

With world-renowned European football teams visiting Korea one after another, July has become an unforgettable month for domestic football fans. All the matches held by these teams have been sold out, and their interactions with fans both inside and outside the stadium have received positive reviews.

Sevilla FC from Spain's La Liga and Tottenham Hotspur from the English Premier League (EPL) visited Korea on the 8th and 10th respectively. The two teams will play a preseason friendly match, the 'Coupang Play Series 2nd Match,' at 8 p.m. on the 16th at Suwon World Cup Stadium.

Additionally, Tottenham will hold the first match against Team K League, composed of K League All-Stars, on the 13th at Seoul World Cup Stadium in Sangam-dong.

A total of approximately 107,000 tickets for the two matches were sold, all of which were sold out, drawing enthusiastic attention from football fans.

Tottenham and Sevilla are so-called 'world-class' teams with fan bases worldwide. Tottenham is the team of Son Heung-min (Republic of Korea), the top scorer of the 2021-2022 EPL season and a member of the Korean national team, earning much love from domestic fans. Last season, they finished 4th in the EPL, securing a UEFA Champions League ticket, known as the 'Battle of the Stars.'

Sevilla FC of Spain's La Liga. Photo by Yonhap News

In 2019, they were the team that made it to the Champions League final. This summer, they are investing over ?75 million (approximately 116.4 billion KRW) to strengthen their squad for the next season.

Sevilla, founded in 1890, is a prestigious team holding the record for the most UEFA Europa League titles with six championships. Famous players such as Ivan Rakiti? (Croatia), a 'world-class' midfielder formerly of FC Barcelona, and Erik Lamela (Argentina), a former teammate of Son Heung-min at Tottenham, make the team even more familiar to Korean fans.

Both teams have continued fan-friendly activities inside and outside the stadium since their arrival. Sevilla players have shown themselves learning and singing Korean and K-POP through social media. Sevilla's captain Jes?s Navas even showed a finger heart during this process. Some players participated in a K-POP dance class held on the 12th at the World K-POP Center, learning choreography from BTS.

Unlike Sevilla, who communicate outside the stadium, Tottenham seems to focus on communication within the stadium. After arriving on the 10th, Tottenham held a short training session at Goyang Sports Complex and approached fans by signing autographs and taking photos on their way home.

On the 11th, they held an open training session at Seoul World Cup Stadium, engaging with about 6,000 fans. The training was intense, and players like Son Heung-min and Harry Kane (England) were seen collapsing from exhaustion, bringing smiles to fans.

Just before the open training, Tottenham's coaching staff also participated in a youth player clinic at the auxiliary stadium of Seoul World Cup Stadium.

Tottenham players were not only inside the stadium. On the 11th, Cristian Romero (Argentina), Bryan Hill (Spain), Davinson S?nchez (Colombia), and others visited Samcheong-dong in Seoul, experiencing Korean culture by wearing hanbok and drinking tea. They also played 'ttakji-chigi,' a traditional Korean game.

Domestic football fans are expressing happiness over the two teams' 'pro-Korea' activities. Lee, a 27-year-old job seeker, said, "I can't believe I can see truly world-class teams and players in Korea," adding, "From the June A-match games to these July matches, it feels like a happy time for football fans."

A university student A, 25, who revealed being a long-time Tottenham fan, said with a smile, "I booked tickets for both the first and second matches. I thought this might be the only chance to see Tottenham's games in Korea, so I did my best to get tickets."

Football fan Shim, 24, said, "Seeing Son Heung-min welcoming the arriving Tottenham squad is new and fun," adding, "I hope to see more of these moments while they are in Korea."

Meanwhile, after completing their schedules in Korea, Tottenham and Sevilla are expected to depart around the 17th to continue their preseason activities.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.