Tottenham Hotspur has ultimately dismissed manager Ange Postecoglou.

Tottenham issued an official statement saying, "After considerable reflection, the club can confirm that Postecoglou has been relieved of his duties," and added, "Winning the UEFA Europa League this season is one of the great moments, but we cannot make decisions based on emotions. We thank Postecoglou and wish him well in his future endeavors."

This decision was made by Chairman Daniel Levy. Just before the official announcement, the UK’s Telegraph reported that "Postecoglou is set to be dismissed as manager of Tottenham. His firing was decided just weeks after winning the Europa League," noting that "Tottenham is expected to finalize the conditions of Postecoglou's dismissal after he returns from vacation on Friday afternoon. Club officials learned that Chairman Daniel Levy made the final decision and that an official announcement will follow."

The publication also added, "We reported exclusively in April that Postecoglou would leave Tottenham regardless of whether he won the Europa League. And Levy watched as he achieved Tottenham's first trophy since 2008 and the first European trophy in 41 years, but decided to change managers."

Following this, the UK public broadcaster BBC also reported, "Postecoglou will leave Tottenham after winning the Europa League. He will step down as Tottenham manager 16 days after leading the team to victory in the Europa League final."

Australian-born manager Postecoglou took charge of Tottenham in the summer of 2023, succeeding Antonio Conte, who parted ways during the season. Despite concerns over his lack of European experience aside from his time with Celtic in Scotland, he made a splash by leading Tottenham to the top of the Premier League early in the season.

At that time, it seemed that Postecoglou's confident "attack football" was shining. However, this did not last long. Monotonous attacking tactics and excessive game management began to create cracks, and the demanding training and high-intensity play led to injuries, causing the team to collapse in the second half of the season.

Nevertheless, Postecoglou did not lose confidence. He boasted that he had always won in his second year, and the Tottenham board invested a record transfer fee to sign striker Dominic Solanke. However, Tottenham fell into even more serious struggles. Occasionally managing to compete with strong teams, they frequently stumbled against weaker opponents, failing to accumulate points.

Naturally, the anger of Tottenham fans exploded. They had already been demanding Postecoglou's dismissal for months, but Chairman Levy remained unmoved. Consequently, the fans' jeers and criticisms grew louder, and clashes with Postecoglou in the stadium occurred.

Ultimately, Postecoglou upheld his promise by lifting the trophy. Tottenham defeated Manchester United 1-0 in the UEFA Europa League final, securing the top spot. Son Heung-min also finally earned his first career trophy.

However, Tottenham could not avoid the worst performance in the Premier League. In the final match, they lost 1-4 to Brighton, finishing the season with a record of 11 wins, 5 draws, and 22 losses, totaling 38 points, with a goal difference of -1 (64 goals scored, 65 conceded). Their ranking was 17th, marking the worst performance in the history of the club in the Premier League, with the previous lowest record being 15th in the 1993-1994 season.

They also set a new record for the most losses in a single season. Tottenham had not recorded more than 20 losses in a 38-match format since the 1912-1913 season prior to the Premier League's inception in 1992, but this time, they added two more losses. The 22 losses tie for the highest number of losses in a single season in the club's history, even counting the 42-match format.

As calls for his dismissal grew, Postecoglou pushed back. He stated, "To be honest, I thought it was really strange to be talking about my future after doing something unprecedented," and added, "On one hand, I am also thinking, 'Why am I being asked that question?'"

However, Chairman Levy remained resolute and chose to part ways with Postecoglou. The Telegraph reported, "This decision is the most brutal of Levy's long tenure. Postecoglou kept his promises in terms of success, changes in playing style, and the performances of young players."

Tottenham must also pay Postecoglou a severance package. The Telegraph explained, "Postecoglou will receive a compensation of approximately £4 million (about 7.4 billion won). He also received a bonus of around £2 million (about 3.7 billion won) for winning the UEFA Europa League and securing a Champions League berth."

Candidates to succeed Postecoglou include Thomas Frank, manager of Brentford, and Marco Silva, manager of Fulham. Initially, Andoni Iraola, who the Tottenham board reportedly desired most, is likely to re-sign with Bournemouth.

The Telegraph noted, "Levy is under tremendous pressure to appoint a successor better than Postecoglou. Frank lacks experience in major tournament victories and European competitions, while Silva has Champions League experience from his time at Olympiacos. Meanwhile, winning the Europa League sparked enthusiastic cheers from Tottenham fans, many of whom changed their opinions about Postecoglou. Levy's decision, ignoring these sentiments, is expected to face backlash."

[Photo] ⓒGetty Images (Unauthorized reproduction and redistribution prohibited), Tottenham, Football Insider, Squawka social media.

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