Tottenham Hotspur have announced the sacking of manager Ange Postecoglou, despite him delivering the club’s first silverware in 17 years.
The Australian has been dismissed exactly two years into his four-year contract after joining from Celtic on this day in 2023.
He kept to his promise, bringing a trophy in his second season. However, that historic achievement wasn’t enough to save his job.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe Premier League campaign concluded with Spurs in 17th place, a finish that was too damaging to keep Postecoglou as their head coach.
Club statement on Postecoglou’s sacking
A statement released on Tottenham’s official website read: “Following a review of performances and after significant reflection, the Club can announce that Ange Postecoglou has been relieved of his duties.”
“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.”
“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.”
The 59-year-old’s departure means Spurs are searching for their fifth manager since Mauricio Pochettino left in 2019.
Where did it go wrong for Postecoglou?
Postecoglou’s first season at Spurs started brightly, and they topped the Premier League after ten games, and fans were optimistic about the future.
But things quickly turned sour. A 4-1 home defeat to Chelsea, in which Tottenham found themselves down to nine men, proved to be a turning point.
Embed from Getty ImagesA combination of these suspensions and injuries derailed their season. The Spurs lost five of their final seven games, ultimately throwing away a top-four finish.
The problems deepened in 2024/25. A 4-0 thrashing of Man City on November 23rd was followed by an abysmal run, during which they lost eight of their next eleven fixtures.
A 4-1 aggregate defeat to Liverpool in the Carabao Cup semi-final compounded the misery, especially after they headed into the second leg with a 1-0 lead.
The Europa League glory was the only positive in what was an otherwise dismal season, which the Spurs hierarchy recognised.
Spurs weighing up current Premier League boss as new head coach
Brentford manager Thomas Frank has emerged as the leading candidate to take over in North London.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe Danish manager has earned widespread praise for his work in West London, where he has helped Brentford establish itself as a Premier League side.
He has consistently got the best out of players like Bryan Mbeumo and Ivan Toney, and has worked wonders in the transfer market on a relatively small budget.
Frank does have a release clause in his contract, but at this stage, Spurs have yet to make a formal approach.
Other names under consideration include Fulham’s Marco Silva, Crystal Palace’s Oliver Glasner and Ipswich’s Kieran McKenna – but Frank is firmly the odds-on favourite.