Tottenham Could Play Champions League at Wembley

There’s a possibility that Tottenham could host their Champions League matches at Wembley Stadium next season due to a reduced capacity at White Hart Lane.

Tottenham will still have one more season left to play their home games at White Hart Lane, but when it comes to hosting Champions League fixtures, Spurs might have to move to a different venue. And the reason being, according to the Telegraph, is that White Hart Lane will have its capacity reduced to less than 30,000 seats.

Wembley Stadium at the moment is being discussed as a possible destination for Tottenham to groundshare with Chelsea when Spurs have to move out of White Hart Lane to get their brand new stadium finished ahead of the 2018-19 season.

But it appears that playing at Wembley could happen much sooner, assuming that Tottenham doesn’t want to play at a reduced crowd at White Hart Lane.

In order to help continue building Spurs’ new stadium, at least 8,000 seats from the Paxton Road Stand must be removed. Because of this, and the fact that White Hart Lane’s official capacity can seat up to 36,824 fans, it’s obvious that Tottenham will have less than 30,000 supporters for their Champions League matches.

LONDON, ENGLAND – MARCH 17: A general view inside the stadium prior to the UEFA Europa League round of 16, second leg match between Tottenham Hotspur and Borussia Dortmund at White Hart Lane on March 17, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Tom Dulat/Getty Images) /

With the return of Champions League football on the horizon for Tottenham, and the fact that Europe’s elite club competition is a big draw worldwide, no doubt Spurs want to play in front of a sell out crowd.

Then again, there’s another good reason to move into Wembley Stadium earlier than expected, and that’s to see if it’s feasible to host football matches on a regular basis rather than it’s typical share of major football events such as the FA and League Cup finals and national team games for example.

More from Hotspur HQ

If — and this is a big if — if Tottenham are allowed to host their Champions League matches outside of White Hart Lane and have them be played at Wembley Stadium where there will be more than 30,000 fans (Wembley can seat 90,000 people but could be sectioned off to have 50,000 only), then it’ll be a one-year trial period.

As in, there will be six group stage matches to see how Wembley could accommodate a football club on a Tuesday or Wednesday from September through December.

Essentially, if everything goes well, then Tottenham (and Chelsea too) could prove to the Football Association that housing at least one team is possible. Two teams shouldn’t be too bad, especially if both Spurs and the Blues are willing to spend £15 million for a year while their new grounds are being developed.

Next: Spurs' Youth System Criticized by Chelsea's Technical Director

Should the FA not grant Tottenham the option to use Wembley Stadium for at least six Champions League group stage matches, then Spurs will just host their games at White Hart Lane. No harm done, unless of course the sight of less than 30,000 supporters at the ground is unsightly to look at.

Of course, nothing is set in stone, as this report by the Telegraph seems like it’s mostly being thrown around as a possibility only.

But really, a reduced capacity at White Hart Lane during all of their home games for next season, including the Champions League, is a matter of taste or preference for the fans. Some might mind, others wouldn’t.

Home/Tottenham News