Former Spurs captain praises Postecoglou for ‘amazing achievement’ and reacts to decision to sack him | OneFootball

Former Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris says he was surprised at the club’s decision to dismiss Ange Postecoglou after winning the club the Europa League.

Postecoglou secured Spurs their first trophy in 17 years after defeating Manchester United in the Europa League final on June 21, but just 16 days later the Australian was dismissed after a 17th place finish in the Premier League.

Lloris worked under Postecoglou for six months before he moved to MLS side LAFC in January 2024 after making 447 appearances for the north Londoners.

Speaking ahead of LAFC’s first Club World Cup match against Chelsea, the 38-year-old says he was surprised by his former club’s decision to part company with the 59-year-old.

“Yes, but nothing can surprise you any more,” Lloris said. “I think he deserves a lot of credit for what he achieved as a coach and I think we all have to be thankful and grateful for what he brought, especially with this trophy.

“I think they had a really hard season. They had a lot of injuries as well that affected the team and performances.

“In the second part of the season it looks like they decided to go all-in for the Europa League. They made it and you just have to congratulate them because it is another way to go to the Champions League.

“If you finish 10th, 14th, 15th, 16th and if you get a chance to win a trophy on the other hand, it is just an amazing achievement.

“I was part of a really competitive team for many years and the target was to reach the top four but at which price? We could not find a way to win a cup, a League Cup or even a Europa League cup but we managed to go and get the top four for many years.

“I don’t know, it is all about the optics of the club.

“Thomas Frank did an amazing job at Brentford but Postecoglou deserves a lot of credit, the players as well. It is not easy to win that kind of competition

“What Ange Postecoglou did was just remarkable. He brought this Europa League trophy, he brought a lot of joy to the Spurs community, a lot of pride as well and we all have to be thankful for that.”

Lloris, however, says he is pleased for his former side’s achievements last season, adding: “I am really happy for the club. We ran many years after this trophy and finally they got it and I think they deserve it.

“Hopefully it will make their shoulders a little bit lighter for the future and I think it is also the moment to build on this success for Spurs. Even if I am not a Spurs player, I still follow the news, the team and the results.”