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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Sport
George Flood

New Tottenham stadium: Mauricio Pochettino to appear as special guest at first test event

Tottenham have confirmed that first-team manager Mauricio Pochettino will be a guest at the first test event to take place at their new stadium this weekend.

Spurs are set to host Crystal Palace in their opening Premier League fixture at the new 62,062-seater White Hart Lane on April 3, but that is dependent on them achieving a formal safety certificate during two test events to be held with increasing levels of attendances.

A legends team coached by Gary Mabbutt and Clive Allen and featuring the likes of Jurgen Klinsmann, Darren Anderton, Robbie Keane, Rafael van der Vaart and Dimitar Berbatov are due to take on their Inter Milan equivalent on March 30 in front of a crowd of around 45,000.

However, before then, Tottenham's U18s will become the first team to play in the new stadium as they host Southampton in an U18 Premier League fixture on Sunday - a match that will be viewed by approximately 30,000 spectators.

Guest of honour: Mauricio Pochettino will be interviewed at half-time of Tottenham's first test event (Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)

Casting a watchful eye over proceedings will be Pochettino, with Spurs announcing on Wednesday that the Argentine - whose senior side are not in action due to the international break - would be in the stands for the event.

He will also be interviewed during the half-time interval.

All being well, Tottenham will play the final five home games of the domestic season - against Crystal Palace, Huddersfield, Brighton, West Ham and Everton - at their plush new ground in addition to the Champions League quarter-final first-leg meeting with Manchester City on April 9.

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