Ange Postecoglou sacked by Tottenham | OneFootball

Ange Postecoglou has been sacked by Tottenham just 16 days after ending the club’s 17-year wait for a trophy with Europa League glory.

Spurs finished in 17th place in the Premier League, having lost 22 of their 38 games, yet this domestic form accompanied a European campaign that culminated in victory over Manchester United on 21 May.

Tottenham triumphed 1-0 in Bilbao, where they secured their first silverware since 2008, as Postecoglou fulfilled a vow from earlier in the season: “I always win things in my second year.”

However, such a monumental achievement was not enough to save his job, with Daniel Levy making the decision to let the Aussie go ahead of a summer of wholesale change across key departments.

Postecoglou, 59, cut an increasingly frustrated figure over the course of the Premier League season, as Spurs struggled towards the relegation places.

In January, Postecoglou pointed to Tottenham’s wretched fitness issues as an explanation for their alarming league form and maintained that the club would be stronger when players returned, but results did not improve despite senior players becoming available again.

Instead, Tottenham recorded one of their worst top-flight seasons, adding to their exit from the FA Cup against Aston Villa in January and a meek defeat by Liverpool in the second leg of the Carabao Cup semi-finals four days earlier.

Former Celtic boss Postecoglou went unbeaten in his first 10 games in charge, winning eight, and steered Spurs to the top of the league in November 2023 in an impressive start – despite losing the club’s record goalscorer Harry Kane that summer. But Postecoglou struggled to replicate those early highs, with his refusal to compromise on his attacking principles of play at times coming in for criticism from fans and pundits.

The mood among Tottenham fans soured after Postecoglou cupped his ear to the travelling supporters during the defeat by Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in April, and he later echoed former Spurs boss Antonio Conte’s final act as manager by urging the club to “stick to something”.

The Australian, however, seemed to win back many fans with the Europa League final victory, though he was coy on his future in the moments after the game. “I understand why it would be difficult for a club like this to buy into one person’s vision,” he said.

“I remember even when I signed, [Spurs owner] Daniel Levy said. ‘We went after winners and it didn’t work, now we've got Ange’. But mate, I’m a winner. I have been a serial winner my whole career. It’s what I have done more than anything else.”

Brentford boss Thomas Frank, Crystal Palace’s Oliver Glasner and Xavi, formerly in charge of Barcelona, are among those who have been connected with the role. Frank is thought to be the leading contender.

The next appointment will be crucial for the club as they bid to build on Champions League qualification and improve their Premier League position next season.