Photo: JUSTIN TALLIS
Tottenham Hotspur have sacked manager Ange Postecoglou, the club said on Friday, despite the Australian guiding Spurs to their first major trophy in 17 years with victory in the Europa League final last month.
Postecoglou will leave two years to the day after his appointment.
Spurs beat Manchester United in Bilbao to win the Europa League and book their place in next season's Champions League, but a dismal domestic campaign ultimately cost Postecoglou his job.
"The Board has unanimously concluded that it is in the best interests of the Club for a change to take place," Spurs said in a statement.
"Following a positive start in the 2023/24 Premier League (PL) season, we recorded 78 points from the last 66 PL games. 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."
Tottenham finished 17th in the Premier League last season, fuelling pressure on the 59-year-old in his second year at the helm.
Spurs finished fifth with 66 points in the Australian's first season, helping them earn a place in the Europa League.
Many pundits believed their continental triumph might be a lifeline for the manager, while he sounded hopeful himself, telling delighted fans during the team's trophy parade: "In all the best television series, season three is better than season two."
But the club's board, who called it one of the "toughest decisions we have had to make," thought otherwise.
"We have a talented, young squad and Ange has given us a great platform to build upon," Spurs said in their statement. "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."
Spurs were hit hard by injuries this past season, with Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Dejan Kulusevski, Destiny Udogie, Dominic Solanke and James Maddison all missing significant time.
Brentford manager Thomas Frank and Fulham's Marco Silva have both been linked as potential candidates to replace Postecoglou.
-Reuters
