When Cristian Romero leads Tottenham Hotspur out in Udine on Wednesday evening, he will be guiding them into their first-ever UEFA Super Cup. The match, an exclusive curtain-raiser to the European season, pits the Europa League winners against the Champions League holders, Paris Saint-Germain. For Spurs, it is both a reward for their triumph in Bilbao last May and an immediate examination of their place among the continent’s elite.
As a reminder of that success, the team will debut a “Europa League titleholder badge” on their sleeves, a distinction they will carry throughout their upcoming Champions League campaign. But while their presence in this showpiece is earned, proving they truly belong is another matter entirely.
Tottenham enters this high-stakes encounter significantly under-strength. Key creative midfielders James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski are injured, and with the club’s search for a new number 10 stalling, fan frustration is mounting. While Mohammed Kudus and Joao Palhinha are solid additions, the departure of Son Heung-min has left the team with arguably its least star power in a generation. To secure a result against PSG, the new manager must rely on tactical ingenuity and collective spirit rather than individual brilliance.
Wednesday’s clash magnifies a long-standing debate surrounding Tottenham: are they a genuinely elite club, capable of consistently competing for the world’s biggest trophies? The case for their inclusion is compelling. The club boasts a state-of-the-art stadium and training ground, a vast global fanbase, a rich history, and was an invited member of the short-lived European Super League project in 2021.
Conversely, critics point to a relative lack of major silverware, citing the 17-year gap between their 2008 League Cup and 2025 Europa League wins, and a league title drought stretching back to 1961. Perhaps most damaging to their claim is their recent Champions League record. Since their memorable run to the 2019 final, an event that seemed to cement their place at the top, their impact has been minimal. Subsequent campaigns in 2020 and 2023 ended with meek last-16 exits, with the most notable moment being a humbling 7-2 home defeat to Bayern Munich.
After a 2023-24 season with no European football at all, their Europa League victory granted them a direct return to the premier competition. Now, against PSG, they have a chance to reassert themselves.
While the Super Cup trophy is not essential, the psychological impact of a victory would be immense. Defeating one of the world’s best teams would instantly silence questions about whether they deserve their place back among the elite. It is a formidable task for a team in transition under a manager with limited top-level European experience. Ultimately, proving they can compete at this level—showing tactical nous and resilience—may be a greater prize than the silverware itself.
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