Tottenham confirm appointment of Thomas Frank as new boss on three-year deal
Spurs and chairman Daniel Levy moved swiftly for former Brentford boss Frank after they dismissed Ange Postecoglou only 16 days on from Europa League glory.
Following negotiations with Brentford during the past week over Frank's release clause and backroom staff, the 51-year-old has been announced as Tottenham head coach and will bring with him Justin Cochrane, who will return to the club where he started his coaching journey more than a decade ago.
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A club statement read: 'We are delighted to announce the appointment of Thomas Frank as our new head coach on a contract that runs until 2028.
'In Thomas we are appointing one of the most progressive and innovative head coaches within the game. He has a proven track record in player and squad development and we look forward to him leading the team as we prepare for the season ahead.'
Frank is the 14th permanent head coach of Daniel Levy's 24-year tenure as Spurs chairman and will take over a club which won the Europa League last month but finished 17th in the Premier League.
Tottenham's first trophy since 2008 did not prevent Postecoglou losing his job, with a statement last Friday citing it as 'one of the toughest decisions' the board has made.
A club record in the Premier League of 22 defeats ultimately cost Postecoglou, even though he faced a winter injury crisis and prioritised Europa League success over league fixtures during the latter months of the season.
Postecoglou's dismissal sparked a flurry of tributes from Spurs players and Frank's initial task in north London will be to stabilise a shocked dressing room.
However, the Danish coach has gained a reputation for excellent man-management skills during his impressive seven-year spell in charge of Brentford, where he won 136 of his 317 matches as head coach.
'It has been a pleasure working alongside Thomas,' Brentford director of football Phil Giles said.
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'There have been so many special moments with Thomas and nobody will ever forget the day at Wembley for the play-off final or that emotional first Premier League game against Arsenal.
'We will never forget Thomas, but now it is time to thank him and take the next steps in our journey with a new leader who we believe can be just as successful and influential.'
Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna is the bookmakers' favourite to replace Frank at Brentford.
After a rocky start, Frank turned Brentford into one of the most entertaining teams in the Championship and clinched play-off success at Wembley in 2021 – despite the departures of Ollie Watkins and Said Benrahma.
Ex-Brondby boss Frank showed his supreme adaptability once in the top flight as his previously free-scoring side switched to a disciplined and organised unit, which frequently changed between a 4-3-3 and a 3-5-2 system.
It enabled Frank to establish Brentford as a Premier League regular despite a modest budget and even the loss of Ivan Toney last summer failed to halt their momentum.
During the 2024-25 campaign, Brentford recorded their best tally of top-flight wins (16) and goals (66) to secure a 10th-placed finish which further caught the attention of Tottenham.
An official approach from Spurs was made on Monday before negotiations concluded on Thursday after an agreement had been reached over Frank's release clause – reported to be in the region of £10m – and his backroom staff.
Frank has brought Cochrane with him to Tottenham along with Chris Haslam, previously Brentford's head of athletic performance, and first-team analyst Joe Newton.
This move will also reunite Frank with Andreas Georgson, who spent a year at Brentford as a set-piece coach and now moves from Manchester United to Spurs, and technical director Johan Lange, who worked with Frank at Lyngby in their native Denmark and tried to bring him to Aston Villa in 2022.
Even though Frank has failed to win any major silverware, he can change that when he manages Spurs for the first time competitively on August 13 in the UEFA Super Cup against Champions League winners Paris St Germain.
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It may be that such efficiency is not even possible at bigger clubs. Thomas Frank with Yoane Wissa: Brentford are an extremely well-run club - Frank will have to adjust to life at Tottenham. Photograph: John Walton/PA But there are risks in any appointment, just as there are in any transfer. There can be no guarantees that what worked in one set of circumstances will work in another. Football is complicated, and Frank has not just thrived at Brentford – taking the club with the 19th-highest wage bill to 10th in the table is a remarkable achievement – but has given every indication that he is flexible enough to adapt to a new environment. Brentford were promoted as a progressive side with 55% possession in 2020-21, stayed up in their first three Premier League seasons playing in a relatively low block with 44% or 45% possession and then, in the season just ended, began pressing higher and playing more in transition, their possession rising to 48%. 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