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Spurs sack Postecoglou

Tottenham have sacked head coach Ange Postecoglou despite him ending the club's 17-year trophy drought after winning the Europa League.

His dismissal comes 16 days after he guided Spurs to a 1-0 Europa League final win over Manchester United to claim their first European trophy in 41 years.

But glory in Bilbao, which saw Spurs qualify for next season's Champions League, came after Postecoglou presided over the club's worst-ever Premier League campaign.

Ange Postecoglou with the Europa League trophy

Image: Ange Postecoglou led Spurs to Europa League glory

Tottenham finished a dismal 17th after suffering 22 defeats to record their lowest-ever Premier League points tally of 38.

Postecoglou departs after two seasons in charge, halfway through his four-year contract.

His sacking comes exactly two years on from his appointment, having joined from Celtic on June 6, 2023.

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In September, Postecoglou famously claimed he "always wins things in his second season" - but delivering on his promise has not been enough to keep his job.

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On the September 15, after a defeat to Arsenal, Ange Postecoglou claimed he always wins things in his second season

The 59-year-old's departure means Spurs are searching for their fifth permanent manager in six years since Mauricio Pochettino left in 2019.

Ange after EL win: I haven't completed the job yet

Speaking after clinching the Europa League trophy, Postecoglou felt he had not completed his job yet at Spurs.

"We're still building this team," he said. "It's a young team, we need to add experience. My thought process has been about building a team that can be successful for five or six years.

"But I'm the manager - that decision is not in my hands. It doesn't affect me. You would have seen that in the build-up, all I care about is [the medal] - as this means this football club has won a trophy.

"I don't feel like I've completed the job. We're building. The moment I accepted the role I had one thing in my head, win something. We've done that now and I want to build on it."

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Ange Postecoglou tight-lipped over Spurs future

Tottenham Hotspur head coach Ange Postecoglou remains uncertain about his future at the club and when asked about his 'Series 3' joked that 'sometimes they kill off the main character'.

How Ange's turbulent time unfolded at Spurs

Postecoglou made an instant impact at Spurs last season as they topped the Premier League in a 10-game unbeaten start, which saw him named the Premier League's manager of the month in August, September and October.

But the bubble burst after a chaotic 4-1 home defeat to Chelsea at the start of November, which saw Spurs commit to their high-line approach despite going down to nine players, with Postecoglou infamously declaring to Sky Sports: "It is just who we are, mate."

The long-term effect of injuries and suspensions picked up in that defeat then disrupted the campaign as Tottenham lost five of their final seven games to miss out on the Champions League with a fifth-placed finish.

Injuries have once again decimated Tottenham this season, with some blaming Postecoglou for the issue due to his ultra-aggressive tactics.

Postecoglou calls Tottenham's season 'unacceptable'

Image: Postecoglou has been sacked after ending Spurs' 17-year trophy drought

Their injury crisis and poor performances led to a woeful run of form. Following the 4-0 win against Manchester City on November 23, Spurs would go on to lose eight of their next 11 fixtures, including a 2-1 loss to Leicester, who were the only team separating Postecoglou's side and relegation this season.

The wretched run saw Postecoglou's relationship sour with Spurs supporters following altercations in defeats at Bournemouth, Fulham and Chelsea. The latter at Stamford Bridge saw the away fans boo and subsequently chant, 'You don't know what you're doing', which then led to Postecoglou cupping his ear in celebration towards the Spurs fans before Pape Sarr's equaliser was disallowed.

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Watch Postecoglou's ear-cupping and wave to Tottenham fans in their defeat at Chelsea this month

The 1-0 loss at Chelsea saw him become the first Tottenham boss to lose his first four league games against the Blues, while he failed to beat Spurs' main rivals, Arsenal, in his four league games in charge.

It was after a home defeat against the Gunners in September when Postecoglou declared, "I always win things in my second year", and despite delivering on that promise, it wasn't enough to keep him in the role.

They were also beaten in the Carabao Cup semi-finals by Liverpool in February after a sorry 4-0 second-leg defeat at Anfield, which saw them lose 4-1 on aggregate.

In the FA Cup, Tottenham were nearly embarrassed by non-League Tamworth in the third round, with Spurs needing extra-time to win at the National League side before being knocked out at the next stage by Aston Villa.

And so it all came down to the Europa League, and even though the win over Manchester United puts him in Spurs folklore, Daniel Levy ended Postecoglou's turbulent reign - and now Spurs start over again.

Sky Sports to show 215 games in 2025/26

Watch more Premier League matches on Sky Sports ever before with 215 games live of the 2025/26 Premier League season.

Image: Watch more Premier League matches on Sky Sports ever before with 215 games live of the 2025/26 Premier League season.

Sky Sports will broadcast a record minimum of 215 Premier League matches a season from 2025/26 after finalising a new four-year agreement for TV rights.

From the 2025/26 season, Sky Sports' exclusively live coverage will increase from 128 Premier League matches to at least 215 games.

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