Tottenham reveal why Ange Postecoglou was sacked despite Europa League win
Dismissed: Ange Postecoglou has been sacked by Tottenham despite winning their first major trophy for 17 years (Zac Goodwin/PA Wire)
Tottenham have revealed that the board unanimously decided to sack Ange Postecoglou as manager after concluding that they could not 'base the decision on emotions aligned to' winning the Europa League.
Confirmation arrived on Friday evening that Spurs have sacked Postecoglou after two years at the helm, with Brentford's Thomas Frank the early front-runner to replace him.
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The decision was largely taken due to the club's unprecedented 22 defeats and worst-ever 17th-place finish in the Premier League this season.
It comes despite Postecoglou having delivered Spurs their first piece of major silverware in 17 years by guiding them to Europa League glory in Bilbao last month.
That trophy, secured with a 1-0 victory over Manchester United in the final, earned Spurs a return to the Champions League for next season, but Postecoglou has been informed that he will not be the man to lead them through that campaign.
Tottenham's full statement published on their 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.
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'Ange joined us from Celtic in the summer of 2023 and oversaw a period of change on the pitch, returning us to the attacking brand of football that has traditionally been associated with the Club, while writing a new chapter in our history by leading us to UEFA Europa League glory in Bilbao last month — an achievement that will live with us all forever.
'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.
'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.
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'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.'
Spurs added: '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. 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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