Tottenham defender Jan Paul van Hecke expressed his frustration with Getafe's aggressive play during a behind-closed-doors training match at Tottenham's facility. The 70-minute encounter, intended as a routine pre-season friendly, became a bruising affair, with Van Hecke suggesting Getafe's tactics bordered on unsportsmanlike conduct.
"I thought today was a bit too much," Van Hecke stated. "From their side, sometimes it's not necessary, especially in a friendly. I think in a normal game maybe they have two or three red cards. But that's also maybe the way they play. We knew beforehand they can do it."
The match saw several contentious moments, including an incident where new Tottenham signing Sandro Tonali reacted angrily to a challenge from Getafe's Mario Martin. After Tonali won the ball and pushed Martin, the Spanish player appeared to retaliate by leaving a leg in as Tonali attempted to play forward. Tonali was visibly incensed, confronting Martin and pushing him multiple times, including a push to the neck. Several Getafe players then converged on Tonali and the referee, while teammate Andy Robertson intervened to separate Kiko Femenia from the official.
Van Hecke, who joined Spurs from Brighton for £52 million, acknowledged the need for physical play but felt the match exceeded acceptable limits for a friendly. "It's a friendly, so you think maybe they would do it a bit less. But on the other hand, we also need to be at our best because if you don't put your foot in, they're going to win it," he said. "If that's what the game asks, then you need to put your foot in and battle with them, otherwise they win the battles."
Despite the physicality, the match concluded with goals in the final minutes. Getafe took the lead in the 66th minute through Alberto Risco, but Tottenham equalized in the final minute with a goal from Conor Gallagher. Richarlison had a late header saved by Getafe goalkeeper David Soria.
Both teams had chances in a goalless first half. Manager De Zerbi kept his team largely unchanged throughout the 70 minutes, with no substitutions made. Several senior players not involved in this training game, including Martin Dubravka, Kevin Danso, Micky van de Ven, Destiny Udogie, Rodrigo Bentancur, Pape Matar Sarr, Mateus Fernandes, James Maddison, and Dominic Solanke, are participating in pre-season training.
Tottenham will conclude their pre-season schedule with matches against Hoffenheim next Saturday and a follow-up at the training ground on Sunday. Their Premier League campaign begins on August 22 against Brentford.