Desire for a trophy

TSG will welcome a big-name opponent from London to Sinsheim on 23 January: Tottenham Hotspur, who have been one of the Premier League's leading lights for years, are an established name in England and across Europe. The club, who reached the Champions League final in 2019 but are longing for a trophy, are known in particular for their passionate fans and their captain Heung-min Son.

Historically speaking, Tottenham have been groundbreakers. In the 1960/61 season, Spurs made history by becoming the first English club to win the First Division and FA Cup double in the 20th century. The next coup followed only two years later: Tottenham became the first British club to lift the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1963. But since then, things have been rather quiet on the trophy front. The last notable triumph came in 2008, when they won the League Cup. They have yet to become Premier League champions, with their runners-up finish under Mauricio Pochettino in the 2016/17 season their best league performance in the recent past.

Tottenham have produced great talents time and time again in the course of recent years. Names such as Harry Kane and Oliver Skipp are examples of the successful path from the academy ranks to the Premier League. Spurs have young players in their squad again this season: the 22-year-olds Pape Matar Sarr and Destiny Udogie are two of the club's brightest prospects and are getting regular playing time under coach Ange Postecoglou. The integration of young players remains a core component of the club's philosophy – but despite the talented youth players and the still outstanding Heung-min Son, things are not really going smoothly in the Premier League. With around half of the season played, Spurs occupy a mid-table position and have lost touch with the top four spots. The lack of consistency and defensive weaknesses in particular have left fans disappointed. The North London outfit are also still trying to find their best form in the Europa League. Spurs are in ninth place in the league phase with 11 points – though they have been without several key performers due to injury recently, such as Richarlison, Christian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Ben Davis.

Even if things have not recently gone as planned, Tottenham are one of the most successful teams in the history of the Europa League and its predecessor competition, the UEFA Cup. Spurs occupy sixth position in the competition's all-time table. With 83 wins and 287 points from 150 matches, they are one of the most consistent participants. This position in the rankings underlines Tottenham's international reputation – and this season, the club are looking to build on previous successes and finally end their long trophy drought.

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