Tottenham’s first home game in the group stages of the Champions League will be played at Wembley, the club confirmed on Monday after reaching an agreement with UEFA.
Spurs announced last week that the move to their new 62,000-capacity stadium had been delayed by at least a month due to safety issues.
“We have agreed with UEFA that the first home matchday of this season’s Champions League group stage, scheduled on either matchday one (week commencing 17 September) or matchday two (week commencing 1 October), will be staged at Wembley Stadium,” the club said in a statement.
The first game at the new White Hart Lane was due to be against Liverpool on September 15, but that fixture and the visit of Cardiff on October 6 have now been switched to Wembley, where Spurs played all their home games last season.
However, with Wembley unavailable, Spurs said they will ask for their third round tie in the Carabao Cup to be played a neutral venue or switched if they are drawn at home.
Tottenham now hope Manchester City’s visit on October 28 will be the curtainraiser for the new stadium, especially with Wembley already set to host a NFL game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Jacksonville Jaguars on that day.
Problems with the safety system mean that the opening date could be up to another six months.
Their opening home fixture against Fulham was supposed to be the only game they played at England’s home ground, Wembley, but now the club have pushed the date back, with home matches against Liverpool (15 September) and Cardiff City (6 October) will also be played at Wembley.
According to sources, the grand opening might be as late as February.
“The critical issues include [safety] systems. Some systems are incomplete or missing and nobody knows how long it is going to be,” a source told the newspaper.
“Completion could run into next year, depending on what other issues crop up. A best guess is that this delay will be between three to six months. In addition, the cost of the build has already reached £1bn and it is difficult to predict what the final bill will be. The costs keep piling up.”
Manager Mauricio Pochettino offered his sympathy to Spurs supporters.
The Best Seat in Spurs new Stadium pic.twitter.com/Uku90n0DbR
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“We all feel disappointed with the announcement from the club. I feel so sorry for myself, for our fans, players, everyone.
“The chairman tried with the board to arrive on time, it’s a massive effort, and that we cannot deliver for the Liverpool game is a massive disappointment for everyone.”