Thomas Frank has been sacked by Tottenham after just eight months in charge off the back of a dire 2-1 home defeat to Newcastle United
Ben Crawford GAU Writer
12:01, 11 Feb 2026
Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank (left) and Micky van de Ven after the Premier League match at Turf Moor
View 4 Images
Thomas Frank had various frustrations with different Tottenham players(Image: PA)
Thomas Frank has finally been relieved of his duties at Tottenham with his team sitting 16th in the Premier League. And the Dane had his fair share of run-ins with players during his spell in north London.
Despite only arriving from Brentford in June, head coach Frank has been sacked by Spurs after failing to win any of his final eight matches. The hunt is now on for a replacement.
The 2-1 defeat against Newcastle United on Tuesday evening was the final nail in his coffin. Other results on the night mean Tottenham now sit only five points off the relegation places.
In his time at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Frank didn't always get along with all of his players. football.london takes a look at four Spurs stars who clashed with the now-sacked head coach.
Ensure our latest football headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. Click here to activate or add us as Preferred Source in your Google search settings
Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence
Perhaps the most high-profile and public clash Frank had with any of his players came after the 1-0 loss to Chelsea last November. After the full-time whistle, he remained on the pitch to applaud the fans, many of whom had booed his side during the defeat.
He gestured over to both Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence to join him, but both snubbed their boss and walked down the tunnel. Frank played this incident down when speaking later in the evening.
Djed Spence of Tottenham Hotspur speaks with Micky van de Ven of Tottenham Hotspur during the Premier League match between Nottingham Forest and Tottenham Hotspur
View 4 Images
Spence and Van de Ven blanked their manager(Image: Getty)
A few days after this act, Frank revealed both players had apologised to him. He said: "Micky and Djed came into my office yesterday and just said they wanted to say sorry for the situation.
"They didn't want it to look bad. So there was no disrespect meant at all towards the team or me. They were just frustrated with the performance from us and the booing during the game."
FOLLOW OUR TOTTENHAM FB PAGE! Latest Spurs news, analysis and much more via our dedicated Facebook page
Yves Bissouma
Midfielder Yves Bissouma's off-field issues have often overshadowed his on-pitch performances during his time with Tottenham. In the summer, head coach Frank butted heads with the Mali international.
Ahead of the UEFA Super Cup in August, Bissouma was excluded entirely from the Tottenham squad that travelled to Italy to face PSG. When asked for a reason, Frank admitted that the 29-year-old had been persistently late and the manager decided to take action.
Yves Bissouma of Tottenham Hotspur applauds the fans during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
View 4 Images
Bissouma was dropped by Frank in August(Image: Getty)
"Bissouma isn't here because of disciplinary reasons. He has been late several times, the latest one too many," said Frank ahead of what was his first competitive game in charge.
"We need to give love and have demands but there have to be consequences. There's been a consequence. We will follow it up when we get home and park it for now."
Mathys Tel
Young attacker Mathys Tel came to blows with Frank back in January when the Dane's team were stung by West Ham at home. Having started the game, Tel was withdrawn with Spurs trailing 1-0 in the 62nd minute.
Mathys Tel of Tottenham Hotspur during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
View 4 Images
Tel was unhappy with Frank after being taken off last month(Image: Getty)
The 20-year-old had played well on the night and was upset after being replaced by Dominic Solanke. He was seen raging on the bench and some reports claim he barely acknowledged Frank when he was withdrawn as Tottenham lost 2-1.
Fans booed loudly when Tel was taken off and Frank cleared the fiery situation up. He said: "I need to make decisions, of course. So I had to take one offensive player off.
"And I feel Wilson [Odobert] is a bit better to the right and wanted two strikers on the pitch. So that was the decision. There was nothing wrong with Mathys' performance."
Article continues below
Sky Sports discounted Premier League and EFL package
This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
Content Image
£49
£35
Sky
Get Sky Sports here
Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle for the 2025/26 season, saving members £336 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.
Sky will show at least 215 live Premier League games this season, an increase of up to 100 more.