Ange Postecoglou’s rollercoaster two-year reign at Tottenham Hotspur is over after the North London club sacked their Australian head coach.
The axe came despite Postecoglou guiding Spurs to a 1-0 victory in the Europa League final over fellow EPL side Manchester United in Bilbao last month.
It meant the 59-year-old had delivered on his promise of “always” winning a trophy in his second season.
But it also came at the end of a dismal EPL campaign in which the club finished in 17th place, just above the relegated trio.
Former England forward Chris Sutton told BBC Sport the sacking “summed up modern football”.
“I am not saying it has been brilliant this season because I understand the league has been a disappointment – but he has won a major European trophy and that is a huge achievement,” he said.
“To get someone in who wins them silverware, then straightaway get rid of him, that sums up modern football, doesn’t it? It’s absolutely bonkers.
“Match of the Day pundit Alan Shearer reacted to the sacking by posting on X: “What a stupid game football is!”
Tottenham confirmed the sacking in a statement released late Friday afternoon (local time) which read: “Following a review of performances and after significant reflection, the Club can announce Ange Postecoglou has been relieved of his duties.
“We have made what we believe is the right decision to give us the best chance of success going forward, not the easy decision.
“We have a talented, young squad and Ange has given us a great platform to build upon. 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.”
Postecoglou also issued a statement, saying: “When I reflect on my time as manager of Tottenham Hotspur, my overriding emotion is one of pride.
“The opportunity to lead one of England’s historic football clubs and bring back the glory it deserves will live with me for a lifetime.
“Sharing that experience with all those who truly love this club and seeing the impact it had on them is something I will never forget.
“That night in Bilbao was the culmination of two years of hard work, dedication and unwavering belief in a dream. There were many challenges to overcome and plenty of noise that comes with trying to accomplish what many said was not possible.
“We have also laid foundations that mean this club should not have to wait 17 more years for their next success. I have enormous faith in this group of players and know there is much more potential and growth in them.”
Europa League success – Tottenham’s first trophy in 17 years – brought an outpouring of emotion from Spurs fans and initially seemed sufficient to save his job.
Postecoglou even delivered a mic-drop moment during a euphoric open-top bus parade in front of an estimated 220,000 people when he declared “season three is better than season two”.
But chairman Daniel Levy had other ideas and appears to have dismissed the man to deliver him a much-craved trophy.
Postecogou had divided opinion among supporters during his two-year tenure and his job prospects seemed bleak before winning the Europa League, European football’s second-tier competition behind the Champions League.
Brentford boss Thomas Frank has been installed as the bookmakers’ favourite to replace Postecoglou.
It all started so brightly for Postecoglou, who arrived from Celtic inthe summer of 2023, with a run of eight wins from his first 10 league fixtures – despite the high-profile departure of Harry Kane.
That propelled Spurs to the summit but a sign of things to come was a thrilling loss to Chelsea in November, 2023 where several injuries occurred.
Fifth place in Postecoglou’s debut campaign still represented an impressive finish but cracks started to emerge during an end-of-season 2-0 loss at home to Manchester City where some Tottenham fans were conflicted given a positive result would have put rivals Arsenal in the driving seat for the title.
Postecoglou later acknowledged that he misjudged the mood, but further run-ins would follow.
A slow start to the 2024-25 campaign was followed by Postecoglou’s second-season trophy claim and a strong run of form as Spurs emphatically defeated Manchester United, Aston Villa and Manchester City.
But further injuries hampered progress and Spurs lost eight of their 11 EPL matches through a busy December and January programme.
The Carabao Cup provided some relief with a run to the semi-finals, but that ended in a 4-0 drubbing at Liverpool, while the slump in league form continued.
That left the Europa League, which Postecoglou delivered to the enraptured supporters. Suddenly, as Postecoglou bathed in the glory on Tottenham’s euphoric victory parade, a whole bright new future seemed to beckon.
But it was a mirage. One glorious night in Europe was not enough to save him.
The Australian is receiving widespread support from across the football community, including Spurs defensive back Pedro Porro who took to social media in an emotional message.
“Thank you for everything, boss,” Porro wrote on Instagram.
“For mentoring me early on, helping me settle into the club, and trusting me out on the pitch.
“I’ll always be grateful for the way you led us, defended us, and kept us going through all the highs and lows.
“Above everything, you gave us one of the greatest moments in the club’s history and for that, you’ll always be celebrated. Wishing you all the very best, boss.”
Former Tottenham defender Ramon Vega has called the decision to sack Postecoglou “unbelievable”, questioning the club’s reasoning and direction.
“We are now in a place where a trophy is not valid at all whatsoever. The principles and the disciplines are not valued in the same way,” Vega told Sky Sports News.
“What kind of inspiration or example can you bring to the future and the young talented players? Do you not want to win trophies anymore?
“In football, results count. And they won a trophy. It’s unbelievable.
“The question is here: where do Tottenham want to go with their manager? Why are they now sacking someone where they can bring stability into the whole club?”
While there were plenty of people surprised by the decision, former Spurs boss Harry Redknapp says the silence from Spurs management from the moment they won the Europa title was a good indication of where they were heading.
“I thought it was a certainty, doesn’t shock me at all,” Redknapp told talkSPORT.
“Daniel (Levy) has had two weeks after the cup final to come out and stop the speculation, from day one after they won that cup he never came out and said a word.
“I knew then for sure he was finished, so it’s not a shock in any shape or form to me.”
with AAP
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