On Easter Monday got here a glimpse for Tottenham into one thing they have not had for a decade: a future with out Son Heung-min.
Nottingham Forest had been visiting and Spurs had by this stage of the marketing campaign surrendered hope in all however the Europa League, however there was another excuse for an uncommon variety of empty seats and it was not misplaced on these within the boardroom.
Son was dominated out, his absence confirmed greater than 48 hours beforehand by then-head coach Ange Postecoglou. This was the primary residence match he missed throughout a month out with a foot damage.
Out with him went lots of of the South Korean followers who’ve turn into such an intrinsic a part of the matchday expertise in N17 over latest years, maybe essentially the most vivid illustration of the Premier League’s world attraction.
An estimated 5,000 Koreans attend Spurs residence video games to see their favorite participant pull on the shirt of their favorite soccer group and compete of their favorite competitors.
Many, particularly these jetting into London on vacationer packages, are dedicated spenders within the membership megastore and stay digitally engaged once they go away.
Son Heung-min is a nationwide hero in South Korea, as their captain and finest ever participant
An estimated 5,000 Koreans attend Spurs residence video games to see their favorite participant pull on the shirt of their favorite soccer group and compete of their favorite competitors
For the Financial institution Vacation fixture towards Forest, nonetheless, they had been conspicuous by their absence and the official attendance was recorded at 59,314, the one time it dipped below 60,000 within the Premier League final season.
Nonetheless an honest crowd within the circumstances, and but right here was a reminder. No Son, no Ok-Issue. Korean fandom, although passionate within the excessive, is firmly aligned to the person participant and never the membership.
A lot of the annual Son-related earnings – estimated by trade consultants to be within the area of £40-60million a season – is within the steadiness when he leaves and after 10 years of service, 173 objectives in 454 video games and that superb Europa League triumph in Might, that second might quickly be upon us.
Son is 33. His type final season was disappointing. Accidents niggled away. His contract expires subsequent yr and there appeared no curiosity from the participant’s camp to signal an prolonged deal throughout talks final season.
Chairman Daniel Levy, averse to letting gamers go away on out-of-contract frees ever since Sol Campbell walked down the Seven Sisters Highway to Arsenal in 2001, will contemplate gives for his captain earlier than the switch deadline, with critical curiosity shaping up from Los Angeles FC.
First although, Tottenham embark on one other money-spinning tour of Asia the place they’ve friendlies in Hong Kong and South Korea.
Spurs are uncommon in that they’ve forsaken the USA, the place they haven’t performed since 2018, in favour of Asia and a method constructed across the twin pillars of Son and a 12-year partnership with shirt sponsors AIA, an Asia-only life insurance coverage firm.
Two years with Postecoglou in cost gave an Australian ingredient to the Pacific attain however South Korea has been the primary attraction with Son, a real megastar within the social media age.
South Korea has been the primary attraction with Son, a real megastar within the social media age
A lot of Tottenham’s annual Son-related earnings – estimated by trade consultants to be within the area of £40-60million a season – is within the steadiness when he leaves
The Coupang Sequence pleasant towards Newcastle on August 3 in Seoul might be Tottenham’s third go to to the nation in 4 years and the fixtures are way more profitable if Son performs – so there was by no means any prospect of promoting him earlier than the tour.
He offers them extraordinary added worth. With out Son the match price can be slashed, a regular contractual clause for all Premier League golf equipment and their large stars when negotiating preseason excursions and exhibition video games, however important to the price Spurs can command in Asia.
AIA analysis claims that about 12million South Koreans cite Spurs as their favorite soccer group. That’s one in 4. That is clear on match day on the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the place they promote as much as a thousand official ‘Son 7’ shirts at a charge that outsold Harry Kane’s ‘Kane 10’ shirts by five-to-one earlier than the homegrown hero and England captain left for Bayern Munich.
Daily there are Korean followers on the gates of the coaching floor with presents for Son and requests for signatures and selfies. Extra on-line merchandise is shipped to South Korea than any nation outdoors the UK, helped by a particular charge on postage.
Tottenham’s friendlies in Seoul and Suwon in 2022, when Son had simply gained the Premier League Golden Boot, had been preceded by 4,800 official shirts bought direct to South Korea inside six weeks.
Greater than 100,000 attended the 2 video games, and on-line queues meant that the tickets had been successfully bought out earlier than they went on sale. The sport in Seoul towards the Ok-League All Stars was streamed by greater than two million stay on Coupang’s streaming service.
Apart from touring earnings and matchday earnings, Son is a robust pressure behind Tottenham’s licensing earnings in Asia. As of 2024, Spurs had 15 official licensees in South Korea alone, producing and advertising and marketing all method of club-branded on a regular basis gadgets starting from bottled water to buns and biscuits to stickers and framed artwork.
South Korea is a western-facing client society that has an prosperous middle-class with disposable earnings. Nationwide identification is robust and extends by its diaspora, as you would possibly count on from a nation that has been on a warfare footing for 75 years.
Son accomplished three months of army service in his homeland in summer time 2020
He was allowed to keep away from the same old 21-month programme resulting from profitable gold for South Korea within the 2018 Asian Video games
Son himself carried out three months of army service in 2020, being exempted from the total necessary 21-month programme resulting from being a part of the South Korea nationwide group that claimed victory within the 2018 Asian Video games.
Footballers rank amongst Korea’s key ambassadors with requirements of behaviour and respect as vital as their soccer achievements. The participant issues most not the membership they symbolize.
They adore Son and he appreciates their following, which is why in addition to the contractual obligations, he didn’t need to miss out on what may very well be this ultimate tour within the colors of the membership he’s synonymous with.
Ninety-two per cent of Korean Spurs followers determine as Son followers, in keeping with Neil Joyce, co-founder of CLV Group, a number one information and insights firm for sports activities and leisure.
‘The upside is that eight per cent of Korean followers are Spurs followers first however there’s prone to be an enormous drop off in fandom if and when Son departs,’ says Joyce. ‘It will likely be tough however not not possible to take care of some degree of following.’
Park Ji-sung spent seven years at Manchester United from 2005, profitable the Premier League title 4 occasions and drawing Korean help to Outdated Trafford. However even United’s immense world reputation may cease a lot of them drifting away, earlier than realigning with Spurs when Son arrived from Bayer Leverkusen in 2015 and grew in stature.
‘Manchester United is a particular case,’ explains Lee, a South Korean journalist and creator. ‘At that time, they’d Sir Alex Ferguson, Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and lots of superstars of soccer world.
‘They’d their Korean followers even earlier than and so they have stayed loyal however, most of these watching due to Park misplaced curiosity after he left. Spurs can have an identical scenario, I imagine. There have been Korean Spurs followers earlier than Son. They’d Lee Younger-pyo, one other Korean legend and stars like Gareth Bale, Dimitar Berbatov and Luka Modric and a status for engaging soccer and this hardcore gained’t change.
‘Nevertheless, the broader portion of normal Korean soccer followers will lose curiosity as soon as Son leaves Spurs. It’s not about Son and Spurs, it’s as a result of they’re extra enthusiastic about Korean gamers than their European golf equipment.’
Most of Manchester United’s South Korean followers are believed to have stopped supporting them when Park Ji-sung left
Ninety-two per cent of Korean Spurs followers determine as Son followers reasonably than supporting the membership initially
A transfer to Saudi Arabia would have provide an opportunity for Son to compete in his native South Korea within the Asian Champions League and Spurs would in all probability financial institution a useful price from the oil-rich golf equipment.
However there was curiosity from there two years in the past rejected by Tottenham and it turned clear on the time that Saudi Arabia didn’t attraction to Son as a future vacation spot.
The USA alternatively does. In Los Angeles there’s the biggest Korean inhabitants outdoors Korea and lots of profitable private business prospects forward of subsequent yr’s World Cup finals in North America, a match for which South Korea have already certified.
In baseball, they’re acquainted with the pulling energy of an Asian sporting icon. Lee Jung-hoo is within the second of a six-year deal value £84m as an outfielder for the San Francisco Giants.
Lee, the son of a Korean baseball legend of the ‘90s who was nicknamed ‘Son of the Wind’ (Lee Jnr is ‘Grandson of the Wind’), is lastly getting his ft below the desk within the US after an injury-curtailed debut, and his shirts are promoting six occasions sooner than the subsequent hottest.
One part of the stadium has been designated to his fan membership, which matches by the title ‘Jung-hoo Crew’, and the Giants’ advertising and marketing group are in overdrive, signing offers with sponsors and broadcasters to beam matches stay into South Korea.
Shohei Ohtani, the Japanese megastar at LA Dodgers that many deem essentially the most gifted on the planet resulting from his distinctive capability to each pitch and hit, has a 10-year contract value £700m – and might be value way more to the Dodgers in business worth over the size of that deal.
Son’s exit would immediate Spurs to return their focus to areas just like the USA, with all of the digital engagement and layers of promoting experience constructed up by the latter half of his decade on the membership.
In baseball, they’re acquainted with the pulling energy of an Asian sporting icon. Lee Jung-hoo is within the second of a six-year deal value £84m as an outfielder for the San Francisco Giants
Spurs are properly set for an offensive throughout the Atlantic with the NFL on the coronary heart of the stadium mission
In keeping with Joyce of the CLV Group, information reveals that the highest 14 golf equipment in European soccer are leaving a billion {dollars} a yr in potential income untapped within the USA by failing to ‘determine, join and have interaction’ with their followers in that market.
Spurs are properly set for an offensive throughout the Atlantic with the NFL on the coronary heart of the stadium mission. On the identical time, they are going to proceed to nourish their South Korean stronghold.
This summer time, there was a link-up with Ok-Pop boy band Stray Children for 2 sold-out concert events on the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Restricted editions of the brand new black away shirts that includes the Stray Children brand went on sale at £250 every to mark the event.
‘It permits Spurs to construct on connections with these followers no matter Son,’ says Joyce. ‘They’re a membership doing this type of factor rather well, considering creatively about content material and their direct relationships with followers who can’t come to the sport.’
Then there’s their teenage winger Yang Min-hyeok, signed from Gangwon final yr. The 19-year-old spent 5 months from January on mortgage at Queen’s Park Rangers, who bought extra shirts in his title throughout that point than some other participant throughout your entire season.
He made his South Korea debut in March but stays a ways from a daily place in Thomas Frank’s group.
‘Korean followers regard Korean gamers in Europe because the nation’s satisfaction,’ says journalist Lee. ‘They really feel completely happy when these gamers are performing properly and dangerous once they have arduous occasions and are criticised.
Stray Children, a Ok-Pop band who’ve held two sold-out gigs at Tottenham’s stadium
Tottenham have additionally signed winger Grasp Min-hyeok this yr, although he’s a approach off from the beginning lineup
‘That is one motive for his or her ardour and the various Korean flags you see within the stadiums. There’s a sturdy bond. The Korean gamers in Europe are type of representatives.
‘However there’s an vital level, as a result of some golf equipment assume they are going to get the curiosity and help of Korean followers just by shopping for a Korean participant, however it may work provided that they’re within the first group.
‘In any other case, the followers would really feel the Korean participant is losing his time within the membership so the scenario may backfire, and the Korean followers may have unfavourable views on these golf equipment.’
First although, one other jaunt east. To Hong Kong and South Korea with Son on the vanguard. Put together for the hysteria. And kerching! As soon as extra unto the merch, pricey buddies.
