Tottenham Hotspur have been warned by an advertising watchdog after the club advertised their new 62,062 seater stadium as the ‘only place to watch the UEFA Champions League in London.’
A clever bit of advertising at the beginning of the season, as both Chelsea and Arsenal failed to qualify for Europe’s biggest competition.
However, the advert quickly backfired after it became clear that Spurs may not still be in the competition by the time their stadium actually opens.
The Advertising Standards Authority sent Tottenham an advice notice over the advertisement.
This came after an Arsenal fan complained about the advert.
Spurs need a win against both Inter Milan and Barcelona to stand a chance of qualifying for the knockout stages of the Champions League.
Their new stadium will not be ready until January 2019 at the earliest.
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Spurs were not punished for the advert, but were warned to be more careful over promises they could not keep.
The BBC report the ASA said: “The complainants challenged whether the ad was misleading because the building work of the new stadium has not been completed, therefore it is unlikely customers will get a chance to watch Tottenham play in the Champions League at the new stadium.
“While we considered there were potential problems under our advertising rules we did not consider the issues raised were so significant as to warrant a full formal investigation. This case was assessed and dealt with via an advice notice.
“In this instance, we contacted Tottenham Hotspur and advised them to avoid making claims in future advertising that they cannot fulfil; to avoid disappointing customers. We also advised them that if the ad is still appearing to ensure it is removed. “
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