Tottenham sack head coach Postecoglou

Ange Postecoglou has been sacked by Tottenham despite leading the club to Europa League glory.

Postecoglou delivered on his promise of "always" winning in his second season thanks to the 1-0 victory over Manchester United in Bilbao on 21 May.

It etched the Australian's name into the history books as only the third Spurs boss to taste European success and the first in 17 years to lift silverware – provoking an outpouring of affection from a previously split fanbase.

While Postecoglou divided opinion across two years in England and attracted criticism during a torrid 17th-placed Premier League campaign, his San Mames triumph appeared enough to earn him year three.

Postecoglou even delivered a mic-drop moment during a euphoric open-top bus parade in front of an estimated 220,000 people when he declared "season three is better than season two", but chairman Daniel Levy had other ideas and dismissed the man who delivered him a much-craved trophy.

"We are extremely grateful to Ange for his commitment and contribution during his two years at the Club. Ange will always be remembered as only the third manager in our history to deliver a European trophy, alongside legendary figures Bill Nicholson and Keith Burkinshaw," the London club said.

"However, the Board has unanimously concluded that it is in the best interests of the Club for a change to take place. Following a positive start in the 2023/24 Premier League (PL) season, we recorded 78 points from the last 66 PL games. This culminated in our worst-ever PL finish last season.

"At times there were extenuating circumstances - injuries and then a decision to prioritise our European campaign. Whilst winning the Europa League this season ranks as one of the Club's greatest moments, we cannot base our decision on emotions aligned to this triumph."

In a statement released via his agency CAA Base, Postecoglou said his overriding emotion is "pride" following his sacking and insisted the foundations had been laid for future success.

When I reflect on my time as manager of Tottenham Hotspur my overriding emotion is one of pride," Postecoglou wrote.

"The opportunity to lead one of England's historic football clubs and bring back the glory it deserves will live with me for a lifetime.

"Sharing that experience with all those who truly love this club and seeing the impact it had on them is something I will never forget.

"That night in Bilbao was the culmination of two years of hard work, dedication and unwavering belief in a dream. There were many challenges to overcome and plenty of noise that comes with trying to accomplish what many said was not possible.

"My overriding emotion is one of pride"

"We have also laid foundations that mean this club should not have to wait 17 more years for their next success. I have enormous faith in this group of players and know there is much more potential and growth in them.

"I sincerely want to thank those who are the lifeblood of the club, the supporters. I know there were some difficult times but I always felt that they wanted me to succeed and that gave me all the motivation I needed to push on.

"It's important to acknowledge the hard working people at Spurs who gave me encouragement on a daily basis.

"And finally, I want to thank those who were with me every day for the last two years. A fantastic group of young men who are now legends of this football club and the brilliant coaches who never once doubted we could do something special.

"We are forever connected. Audere est Facere. Ange."

Brentford boss Thomas Frank has been installed as the bookmakers’ favourite to replace Postecoglou, who departs only 24 months into a long-term deal following a rollercoaster ride in his first Premier League role.

A run of eight wins from his first 10 league fixtures – despite the high-profile departure of Harry Kane – propelled Spurs to the summit but a sign of things to come was a thrilling loss to Chelsea in November, 2023 where several injuries occurred.

Fifth place in Postecoglou’s debut campaign still represented an impressive finish but cracks started to emerge during a 2-0 loss at home to Manchester City where some Tottenham fans were conflicted given a positive result would have put rivals Arsenal in the driving seat for the title.

Postecoglou later acknowledged that he misjudged the mood, but further run-ins would follow.

Spurs ended a 17-year wait for silverware, but it didn't save Ange Postecoglou

A slow start to the 2024-25 campaign was followed by Postecoglou’s second season trophy claim and a strong run of form as Spurs emphatically defeated Manchester United, Aston Villa and Manchester City.

Guglielmo Vicario’s fractured ankle in a 4-0 victory at the Etihad Stadium was quickly followed by serious setbacks for Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven in a 4-3 home loss to Chelsea on 8 December.

Further injuries meant Postecoglou was regularly without 10 players throughout a jam-packed December and January where Tottenham lost eight of their 11 league fixtures.

The Carabao Cup provided solace until a 4-0 loss at Liverpool in the last-four, which meant it was Europa League or bust for Postecoglou.

A last-16 tie with AZ Alkmaar was navigated and, while Postecoglou aimed a cupped ear celebration at his own fans away to Chelsea in April, he managed to get a sinking ship back on track to knock out Eintracht Frankfurt before Bodo/Glimt were thrashed in the semi-finals after supporters’ responded positively to the Australian’s call-to-arms.

It was then all eyes on San Mames, where Postecoglou’s bold second season declaration came to fruition.

Brennan Johnson’s first-half goal proved the difference as Spurs clinched a narrative-busting 1-0 win but euphoric celebrations in Spain, at an open-top bus parade and during a carnival final-day atmosphere were played out against a backdrop of uncertainty over the future of Postecoglou.

"It is crucial that we are able to compete on multiple fronts and believe a change of approach will give us the strongest chance for the coming season and beyond," the club statement added.

"This has been one of the toughest decisions we have had to make and is not a decision that we have taken lightly, nor one we have rushed to conclude. We have made what we believe is the right decision to give us the best chance of success going forward, not the easy decision.

"We have a talented, young squad and Ange has given us a great platform to build upon. We should like to express our gratitude to him. We wish him well for the future - he will always be welcome back at our home.

"News on the appointment of a new Head Coach will be announced in due course."

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