Frank aims to take Tottenham to 'new heights'
The 51-year-old Dane joined from Brentford after Spurs sacked Ange Postecoglou after the Australian guided Spurs to Europa League glory -- their first major trophy in 17 years -- but also presided over the club's worst top-flight campaign since 1976-77.
But while Frank was generally upbeat about his desire to improve upon Spurs' dismal 17th-placed finish in the Premier League that included 22 defeats in 38 games, he made no guarantees over the future of Son Heung-min and was guarded concerning the club's pursuit of Morgan Gibbs-White.
He did confirm club skipper Son and vice-captain Cristian Romero, who have both been linked with a move away from Tottenham during the transfer window, would feature in Saturday's friendly at Reading.
But Frank added he had yet to decide on the captaincy, despite Son skippering Spurs to their Europa League final win over Manchester United in May.
"Two top players, Sonny, been here 10 years, finally got his his well-deserved trophy in the summer, so important for the team and the club. Cristian Romero, World Cup winner, Europa League winner, Copa America winner, very, very important for us as well," said Frank.
He added: "I haven't decided anything on that (captaincy). I have a long list of bullet points I need to get through and I take them in the right order.
"He (Son) was the captain last year and when we play two 45s (halves of 45 minutes each) tomorrow, Son and Romero will be the two captains, but I haven't made a final decision."
As for Gibbs-White, Tottenham were thought to have triggered the £60 million ($80 million) release clause in the England midfielder's contract at Nottingham Forest.
But Forest have accused Spurs of contacting Gibbs-White directly before going to the club and his future remains uncertain.
"I will not speak about players who are not mine," said Frank. "I think I have two exceptions and they are getting older –- (Cristiano) Ronaldo and (Lionel) Messi."
- 'More risk in my daily life' -
Frank joked he only came to Spurs to be sacked. He also guaranteed they will still lose matches, which was followed by a mention of the unbeaten 2003/04 campaign enjoyed by Arsenal, Tottenham's arch-rivals.
"One thing is 100 percent sure, we will lose football matches," he said. "I haven't seen a team that is not losing any football matches. There is Arsenal, that we can't mention, in the Premier League. So I made my first rookie mistake there!"
He added: "I have the privilege of I have never been sacked before. That is one of the reasons why I took the job. I get a little bit more risk in my daily life."
Frank, however, paid tribute to Postecoglou's time at Spurs by saying: "First and foremost, I have said that before, Ange will forever be a legend here at Tottenham. He is one of three who has won a European trophy and the first in 41 years. Unbelievable, fantastic achievement."
It is now nearly 65 years since Spurs were last crowned champions of England, winning both the old First Division and the FA Cup in the 1960/61 season.
"Going into a new season and in football, it's about dreaming and hoping," said Frank. "That's what we do.
"I'll do everything every day to work towards hopefully taking this club to new heights –- that's the ambition."
jdg/mw
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
28 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Post-Wimbeldon, A New Generation of Tennis Stars Are Driving the Sport's TV Demand
While familiar legends have long dominated tennis fandom, recent demand data suggests the sport's fan base is increasingly rallying behind younger stars Following this year's Wimbledon Championships, a shift is becoming clear not only on the court, but in the hearts of global audiences. While legends like Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer have long dominated the tennis world, recent demand data for these players suggests that the sport's fan base is increasingly rallying behind a new generation. The final round of the Men's Singles tournament saw Carlos Alcaraz facing off against Jannik Sinner in a rematch of the French Open earlier this year, which Alcaraz won. Alcaraz was the defending Wimbledon champ, having bested Djokovic the past two years, so it was something of an upset when Sinner emerged victorious. The budding rivalry between these two players can serve as a compelling narrative that will draw attention to events like Wimbledon and the sport of tennis in general. More from TheWrap Post-Wimbeldon, A New Generation of Tennis Stars Are Driving the Sport's TV Demand 'Love Island USA' Season 7 Ends as Peacock's Most-Watched Original Ever With 18.4 Billion Minutes 'Live With Kelly and Mark' Sees Ratings Growth for 2nd Week in a Row With 2.1 Million Viewers | Exclusive As Skydance-Paramount Merger Closes, the 'South Park' Trump Takedown Shows the Fight Is On | Analysis While established tennis champs have historically captured the lion's share of attention from global tennis fans, the global demand for Alcaraz and Sinner has surged since their recent high-profile matchups. As of July 14, Sinner was the most in-demand athlete in the world, with Alcaraz a close second. This isn't to say Djokovic, Nadal or Federer have faded into irrelevance. All three continue to spark meaningful demand spikes around key moments. For example, Djokovic during the Australian Open and Federer during anniversary tributes and sponsorship appearances. However, the overall trend points toward a generational handoff. Today's fans are turning their attention to the athletes shaping the next era. This changing of the guard also appears to be shifting national interest in the sport. Parrot Analytics' Sports Demand shows that in Serbia, Djokovic's home country, tennis accounts for a sizable 21% of all demand for sports competitions. A national sports hero like Djokovic has the ability to drive interest in a sport like tennis in his home country. The share of demand for tennis in Italy so far this year (19.7%) is not far behind Serbia. As national pride fuels fan engagement, it is likely we're seeing the Sinner effect in real time, illustrating how the success of a local star can drive broader interest and growth for a sport in their home market. In Spain, France and Australia, traditional tennis strongholds, tennis still commands a healthy share of overall sports interest. In the U.S., tennis captures 8.6% of the country's sports demand, which is just above the global average of 8.1%. It serves as a reminder that even in a crowded sports ecosystem, elite talent and iconic tournaments like Wimbledon still break through. For marketers, rights holders and broadcasters, these audience signals matter. They suggest that while nostalgia for tennis legends remains potent, the business of tennis must increasingly be forward-looking. Rising stars like Alcaraz and Sinner aren't just winning matches, they are winning over fans, sponsors and entire countries. To fully capitalize on this momentum, platforms and advertisers may want to double down on storytelling around this generational shift. If demand is any indicator, the future of tennis is already here and audiences are tuning in. The post Post-Wimbeldon, A New Generation of Tennis Stars Are Driving the Sport's TV Demand appeared first on TheWrap.
Yahoo
28 minutes ago
- Yahoo
NHL says the 5 players acquitted of sexual assault are ineligible to join league, NHLPA pushes back
The NHL is barring five players acquitted of sexual assault from re-entering the league, announcing the decision in a statement on Friday. The five players — Michael McLeod, Dillon Dubé, Cal Foote, Alex Formenton and Carter Hart — were found not guilty of sexual assault charges on Thursday. The charges dated back to an incident in 2018, when the players were in London for a gala and golf tournament in honor of their championship win as part of Canada's world junior hockey team. A woman, known as E.M. in the trial, alleged that the players sexually assaulted her over several hours in a hotel room after the event, but the judge, Maria Carroccia, found that the prosecution had not proven the charges beyond a reasonable doubt. With the Hockey Canada trial complete, the NHL has determined that the five players involved in the trial will be ineligible to play in the league — bluntly answering post-trial questions about the players' hockey futures. "The allegations made in this case, even if not determined to have been criminal, were very disturbing and the behavior at issue was unacceptable. We will be reviewing and considering the judge's findings," the league said in Friday's statement. "While we conduct that analysis and determine next steps, the players charged in this case are ineligible to play in the League." The NHL Players' Association quickly pushed back on the decision, releasing its own statement defending the players and saying that they are "addressing this dispute with the League." "Dillon Dube, Cal Foote, Alex Formenton, Carter Hart, and Michael McLeod were acquitted of all charges by Justice Carroccia of the Ontario Superior Court," the NHLPA said. "After missing more than a full season of their respective NHL careers, they should now have the opportunity to return to work. The NHL's declaration that the Players are 'ineligible' to play pending its further analysis of the Court's findings is inconsistent with the discipline procedures set forth in the CBA." McLeod, Dubé and Hart were all selected in the 2016 NHL Draft, while Foote and Formenton were drafted in 2017. Despite the alleged incident occurring in 2018, charges were not filed until February 2024; those charges prompting all five players to take an immediate leave of absence from hockey. At the time, four of the five players were playing in the NHL: McLeod and Foote played for the New Jersey Devils, Dubé for the Calgary Flames and Hart for the Philadelphia Flyers. Formenton, who previously played for the Ottawa Senators, was playing in the National League in Switzerland at the time. During the year and a half between the charges being filed and Thursday's verdict, two of the players joined other teams, with McLeod spending some time in the Russian KHL and Foote joining the Slovakian league. It is unclear whether the players will try to play in Europe while being barred from the NHL.
Yahoo
28 minutes ago
- Yahoo
'We want to play for England just like Jess Park'
The next generation of aspiring Lionesses say the current England team is inspiring them to become professional footballers. Defending champions England will take on Spain in the UEFA Women's Euro 2025 final on Sunday, hoping to go one better than two years ago when they lost to the same opponents in the World Cup final. Young girls at Elloughton Blackburn Football Club in Brough, the former club of current England international Jess Park, said they hoped to follow in her footsteps. Eight-year-old Scarlett said: "I feel like I could be like her [Jess Park] and I could play for Elloughton but then go into England, too." She added: "I think they [the Lionesses] are going to win. I think she [Jess Park] has been really good. I've been proud of her." Thea, seven, said her role models included Park and Ella Toone. She said: "I like them because they're just really kind. I really look up to them and I want to be the next one of them. "They represent our country and they're just really good at playing football. "I think they're going to do really well and score lots of goals." Thea's mother, Becca, said her daughter "lives and breathes" football. She said watching the Lionesses showed girls what could be achieved in the sport and that it was not just for boys. She added: "Representation is important in all areas and the fact that they can see someone special like Jess, who has started here and see what she's gone on to do, I think that's amazing." Scarlett, seven, said she joined the team because she wants to be a professional football player. "I feel inspired that Jess has gone from Elloughton Blackburn to the national team," she said. "If they win, girls will want to play the game more." Elloughton Blackburn's president, Conleth Campbell, has been at the club for 20 years and saw Park's progress. He said she played for the club from the age of seven for four years and it was an "absolutely phenomenal achievement" what she had done. He said: "We did see the talent back then at such a young age and we're all extremely proud of her. "The success of Jess and the success of the Lionesses has promoted girls football in this country. "We are approaching capacity [at the club]." Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here. Download the BBC News app from the App Store for iPhone and iPad or Google Play for Android devices More on this story Football exhibition tells story of Hull Lionesses England women's team pioneer honoured Ex-England captain's 'confidence' in Lionesses Related internet links England Football
