Ange Postecoglou's fate has already been decided.
The British outlet 'The Sun' reported on the 19th (Korea time), "Tottenham will dismiss Ange Postecoglou, regardless of the Europa League victory. He will leave the team regardless of the final against Manchester United," adding, "Fabio Paratici, the former Director General of Tottenham, will return to decide on the next head coach."
Tottenham will face their Premier League rival Manchester United in the UEFA Europa League (UEL) final for the 2024-2025 season on the 22nd at Estadio San Mamés in Bilbao, Spain. Both teams are struggling with poor performances, sitting at 17th and 16th in the Premier League, but they will meet at the highest level in European competitions.
Son Heung-min has also completed all preparations. Tottenham informed through the club's official website, "Son Heung-min played 74 minutes against Aston Villa on Friday. After that, he said, 'I feel good' ahead of the Europa League final against Manchester United, which will be held Wednesday night in Bilbao."
Tottenham also added, "Captain Son Heung-min returned to the starting lineup for the first time since the first leg of the UEL quarterfinals against Eintracht Frankfurt on April 10. He missed seven matches over the past month due to a foot injury and returned last week, playing for 30 minutes against Crystal Palace."
Fortunately, Son Heung-min is set to play in the final. He had been out due to a recently unspecified foot injury. As the recovery period continued longer than expected, concerns were raised about the possibility of missing the rest of the season. However, Son Heung-min successfully returned in time.
Son Heung-min came on as a substitute in the second half against Palace last week, playing for about 32 minutes, and in the Villa match, he played 74 minutes during his return to the starting lineup, improving his match sense. If all goes well, barring a major upset, he will definitely start in the final. Ange Postecoglou also expressed hope, saying, "I hope Son Heung-min will lead the players well."
This Europa League final is extremely important for both Tottenham and Son Heung-min. Tottenham is having a disastrous season, having lost a record 21 games by the 37th round of the Premier League, the most since the league's inception. They have also already set the record for the lowest points. If they lose in the final match against Brighton & Hove Albion, they will tie the record for the most losses in a season in the club's history, totaling 42 matches.
For Son Heung-min, winning a major trophy is essential. He has never lifted a trophy on the senior stage for both Tottenham and the national team. In a way, this tournament represents a golden opportunity for him and could serve as the stage for his "last dance."
Right after the Villa match, Son Heung-min spoke about the Europa League final, saying, "There is still work to be done. We need to accomplish something big on Wednesday. We believe we can do it," and added, "As I mentioned before, our goal is to achieve results on Wednesday. From now on, let's all gather with a common goal to make that happen on Wednesday."
Postecoglou had raised expectations for his debut season by finishing 5th in the Premier League last season, but this season has been generally disappointing. They were eliminated early in the Carabao Cup and FA Cup, and their league ranking remains at 17th, which could be remembered as one of the worst performances in Tottenham's history. Although there remains the final opportunity of the Europa League final, prevailing opinion suggests it is difficult to quell the calls for dismissal with just one trophy.
Specific circumstances have emerged. The Sun reported, "Tottenham will definitely dismiss Postecoglou. This is unrelated to the final. Coincidentally, the former Director General Paratici will return to take on the role of Postecoglou's successor. He resigned in April 2023 due to a ban from soccer-related activities over financial irregularities at Juventus. This ban, which lasts for two years, is expected to end next month. He is likely to return to Tottenham immediately after the ban ends."
Unlike the current Tottenham management that will appoint Postecoglou, Paratici is free from responsibility. The Sun stated, "The probability of Postecoglou being dismissed even if he wins in Europa is high. And the appointment will be led by the returning Paratici. The candidates include Roberto De Zerbi, Andoni Iraola, Oliver Glasner, and Francesco Parrioli."
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