‘Genius’ – Tottenham’s subtle reference to lasagne scandal in new kit launch hailed by fans
TOTTENHAM cheekily referenced their 2006 “lasagne-gate” heartbreak in today’s new home kit launch.
The North Londoners’ released their 2025-26 strip with a glossy video across their social media channels.
With the slogan “Take A Vow” – the campaign was themed on fans and players taking wedding-style vows.
Beloved former skipper Ledley King began the video by saying: “Loyal Spurs supporters. Beloved Lilywhites. We gather here today to take a vow between fans and club.”
A series of fans and players, including Lucas Bergvall, Dejan Kulusevski and Micky van de Ven then went through the wedding-style vows routine.
As King, 45, delivered the famous “In sickness and in health” line – the promo pertinently showed a plate of lasagne.
The dodgy meal is a reference to Tottenham’s May 2006 clash with West Ham at Upton Park.
Martin Jol’s side went into the contest needing to win to secure Champions League football for the first time since the famous competition rebranded from the old European Cup.
Disaster struck on the eve of the match, as several members of Jol’s squad were struck down by illness following a “dodgy lasagne”.
Spurs went on to lose 2-1, sickeningly allowing rivals Arsenal to pip them to fourth.
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Ex-White Hart Lane favourite Jermain Defoe, who scored Tottenham’s goal at Upton Park, told the Transfer Talk podcast: “I remember the build up to the game. It was massive for the football club.
“We felt like we deserved it, I remember going into the game and everyone was buzzing.
“We had the evening meal, and going to bed, I remember a call from the doctor to ask how I was feeling, because a lot of the lads were not well. I thought it was like one or two, but quite a few were struggling. I couldn’t believe it.
“Such an important game and seven of the lads were sick. I still respect guys such as Michael Carrick, who went out and played even though they were struggling.”
Tottenham tried desperately to get the game postponed, only to be told in no uncertain terms that failure to play could lead to a points deduction.
On what it was like in the dressing room after that infamous defeat, Jermaine Jenas later reminisced: “There was this moment where we were sat in the dressing room and there were eight, nine, 10 people being sick everywhere.
“One is in the toilet, one’s in the sink, one’s in a bucket, everyone’s just being sick everywhere.
“And then all you could hear was the biggest party ever going on in the dressing room opposite.”
‘IT’S JUST TOTTENHAM’
King, who missed the game courtesy of a broken metatarsal, reflected: “The players were not ready to play football. I don’t know how they played. I thought at the time, this is just our luck isn’t it? It’s just Tottenham.”
Despite the trauma, Spurs fans were able to see the funny side of the lasagne reference, with one writing on X: “It’s absolutely brilliant made me laugh out so loud when I saw it.”
While a second commented: “The lasagna was lovely touch.”
A third joked: “This killed me.”
But another added: “Still hurts tbh.”