Tottenham appoint Brentford's Thomas Frank as new manager
Tottenham Hotspur have appointed Thomas Frank as their new head coach on a deal running until 2028.
Spurs will reportedly pay Brentford a compensation fee of £10m for the 51-year-old Dane, who replaces Ange Postecoglou at the club.
Postecoglou was sacked despite ending Tottenham's 17-year wait for a trophy after a dismal Premier League season which saw Spurs finish 17th.
Frank was Tottenham's top target after taking Brentford from the Championship and turning them into an established Premier League side in seven years.
Tottenham released a statement confirming the appointment, saying they were 'delighted' to have the Dane join the club.
'Thomas has extensive experience in English football having joined Brentford in 2016 - since becoming one of the longest-serving current managers in the Premier League. During his time at Brentford he transformed the Club, moving them up from the Championship to an established Premier League side, consistently and significantly outperforming expectations for an extended period of time.
'In Thomas we are appointing one of the most progressive and innovative head coaches within the game,' the club added.
Frank joined Brentford in 2016 as assistant head coach and replaced Dean Smith as head coach two years later. He oversaw a remarkable rise in the Bees' fortunes, guiding them to promotion to the top flight in 2021, and he holds the record for most wins in his first 200 games at the club, with 90.
They reached the Championship play-off final at the end of the 2019-20 season, losing to Fulham, but beat Swansea City in the final the following year, and have solidly established themselves as a Premier League side with 13th, ninth, 16th and 10th-place finishes since promotion.
'Everyone connected with Brentford would like to thank Thomas for the incredible impact he has had on the club's history,' Brentford said in a statement confirming his departure.
The Bees' director of football, Phil Giles, said: 'From the moment he replaced Dean Smith, he understood what we were trying to build and his wisdom, coaching ability and emotional intelligence have helped transform the club.
'But it's not just what you see on the pitch. He forged a special connection with our fans, helped develop and improve players, and was instrumental in implementing the culture that has seen Brentford go from strength to strength.
'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.'
Highly-rated first-team assistant coach Justin Cochrane will join him, alongside head of first-team performance Chris Haslam and first-team analyst Joe Newton. Cochrane also joined Thomas Tuchel's England coaching set-up earlier this year alongside his role at the London club.
In their statement, Tottenham added that Manchester United's Andreas Georgson would also be joining as a first team assistant coach.
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