Tottenham sack Postecoglou despite Europa League win

Ange Postecoglou spoke of his aggravated pridefulness astatine his two-year stint arsenic Tottenham Hotspur manager aft it ended with him being sacked by the Premier League club.

The 59-year-old Australian took the nine to their archetypal trophy for 17 years past period erstwhile Tottenham bushed Manchester United to triumph the Europa League.

But the nine axed him connected Friday aft their worst top-flight run since 1976-77, finishing 1 spot supra the Premier League’s relegation portion aft losing 22 games.

“When I bespeak connected my clip arsenic Manager of Tottenham Hotspur my overriding emotion is 1 of pride,” helium said successful a connection released soon aft his dismissal was confirmed.

“The accidental to pb 1 of England’s historical shot clubs and bring backmost the glory it deserves volition unrecorded with maine for a lifetime. Sharing that acquisition with each those who genuinely emotion this nine and seeing the interaction it had connected them is thing I volition ne'er forget.

“That nighttime successful Bilbao was the culmination of 2 years of hard work, dedication and unwavering content successful a dream. There were galore challenges to flooded and plentifulness of sound that comes with trying to execute what galore said was not possible.”

Postecoglou spoke successful the build-up to the Europa League last astir changing the mode the nine is perceived, and helium said his accomplishments should guarantee that Tottenham volition not person to hold truthful agelong for their adjacent trophy.

“We person laid foundations that mean this nine should not person to hold 17 much years for their adjacent success,” helium said. “I person tremendous religion successful this radical of players and cognize determination is overmuch much imaginable and maturation successful them.”

While Tottenham fans were divided implicit Postecoglou’s future, helium had a connection for the supporters.

“I sincerely privation to convey those who are the lifeblood of the club, the supporters,” helium said. “I cognize determination were immoderate hard times but I ever felt that they wanted maine to win and that gave maine each the information I needed to propulsion on.

“And finally, I privation to convey those who were with maine each time for the past 2 years. A fantastic radical of young men who are present legends of this shot nine and the superb coaches who ne'er erstwhile doubted we could bash thing special. We are everlastingly connected.”

Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou with his players earlier the trophy assistance aft winning the Europa League Final [Andrew Couldridge/File Photo/Reuters]

The 59-year-old yet paid the terms for a horrendous Premier League season, which saw Tottenham decorativeness 17th.

“The Board has unanimously concluded that it is successful the champion interests of the Club for a alteration to instrumentality place,” Tottenham said successful a statement.

“Following a affirmative commencement successful the 2023/24 Premier League (PL) season, we recorded 78 points from the past 66 PL games. This culminated successful our worst-ever PL decorativeness past season.”

Postecoglou leaves 2 years to the time aft his assignment and 16 days aft his broadside bushed Manchester United 1-0 successful Bilbao for the club’s archetypal silverware since 2008, a triumph that besides enactment them successful adjacent season’s Champions League.

The erstwhile Celtic manager has had to look questions implicit his aboriginal for respective months, yet delivered connected his assertion aboriginal past play that helium ever wins a trophy successful his 2nd play successful a job.

He besides took Tottenham to the League Cup semifinal, but their league run was their worst since the past clip the nine suffered relegation from the apical flight, successful 1976-77.

Several of the club’s archetypal squad person voiced their enactment for Postecoglou since beating United, but president Daniel Levy is present searching for his 5th full-time manager successful six years since Mauricio Pochettino was sacked successful 2019.

“At times determination were extenuating circumstances — injuries and past a determination to prioritise our European campaign,” the nine said. “Whilst winning the Europa League this play ranks arsenic 1 of the Club’s top moments, we cannot basal our determination connected emotions aligned to this triumph.”

Several managers person been linked to the Tottenham job, including Brentford’s Thomas Frank and Crystal Palace’s Oliver Glasner.

Postecoglou volition locomotion distant with his pridefulness intact and a handsome bonus, but his caller remark to fans astatine the Europa League triumph parade that the 3rd play of a TV bid is ever amended than the 2nd present looks hollow.

It each started truthful good for Postecoglou. He began the 2023-24 run by guiding Tottenham to their champion commencement to a top-flight play since the 1961 title-winning team.

That signifier soon dipped, and contempt finishing 5th successful his archetypal campaign, the momentum had agelong since gone.

This season, Tottenham earned lone 38 points and mislaid 22 top-flight matches. They managed 5 points from their past 12 league games, and the lone triumph they earned during that tally was against a Southampton broadside who narrowly avoided becoming statistically the worst squad ever successful the Premier League.

Postecoglou has pointed to a agelong wounded list, which denied him the likes of Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Dejan Kulusevski, Destiny Udogie, Dominic Solanke, James Maddison and Son Heung-min for important periods.

But portion it has intelligibly been 1 of long-serving president Levy’s toughest calls, helium has concluded that Postecoglou is not the antheral to pb the nine forward.

“We person made what we judge is the close determination to springiness america the champion accidental of occurrence going forward, not the casual decision,” the nine connection said.

“We person a talented, young squad and Ange has fixed america a large level to physique upon. We should similar to explicit our gratitude to him. We privation him good for the aboriginal — helium volition ever beryllium invited backmost astatine our home.”