Son Heung-min (33, Tottenham Hotspur) delivered his last goodbye to manager Ange Postecoglou as he departed.
Tottenham announced on the 7th (Korean time) via its official website, "After considerable deliberation, the club can announce that Postecoglou has been relieved of his duties."
Tottenham added, "After Postecoglou joined the club from Celtic in the summer of 2023, he led changes on the pitch and returned the club to its traditional attacking football. Last month, he led Bilbao to victory in the Europa League, writing a new chapter in history. He left behind accomplishments that will remain with all of us forever. We are very grateful for the dedication and contributions he showed over the past two years. Postecoglou will always be remembered as the third manager in history to lift a European trophy alongside legends Bill Nicholson and Keith Burkinshaw."
Nevertheless, manager Postecoglou had to leave. Tottenham stated, "The board unanimously concluded that change was in the best interest. We only managed to collect 78 points from the last 66 Premier League matches. This peaked as the worst league performance last season. It was occasionally inevitable due to injuries and priorities in European competitions, and the Europa League victory is considered one of the great moments for the club. However, we cannot make decisions based on emotions because of the victory."
Finally, Tottenham stated, "This was one of the toughest decisions we had to make, and it was not made lightly or hastily. It was not an easy decision, but it was the right one to give us the best opportunity to succeed in the future. We have a talented and young team, and Postecoglou provided an excellent platform. We want to express our gratitude to him. We wish him well in his future endeavors. He will always be welcomed back home. News about the new manager will be announced at the appropriate time."
Captain Son Heung-min bid farewell to departing manager Postecoglou. He shared a photo with manager Postecoglou on social media, saying, "Manager, you changed the direction of this club. You believed in yourself and us from the very beginning and never wavered, even when others did."
Son Heung-min continued, "You always knew what we could achieve from the start. You did it your way. And thanks to your approach, this club experienced its best night in decades. We will cherish those memories for a lifetime."
As soon as he took charge of Tottenham in the summer of 2023, manager Postecoglou entrusted the captaincy to Son Heung-min. This made Son the first Asian player to hold the captaincy in the history of Tottenham, founded in 1882. He also holds the record as the first player of a non-European nationality.
Son Heung-min did not forget this either. He expressed to manager Postecoglou, "You entrusted me with the captaincy. It was one of the greatest honors of my career. It was a tremendous privilege to learn from your leadership up close. Because of you, I became a better player and a better person," adding, "Ange Postecoglou, you are an eternal legend of Tottenham Hotspur. Thank you, my friend."
Australian-born manager Postecoglou took the reins of Tottenham in the summer of 2023. He was the successor to manager Antonio Conte, who parted ways mid-season. There were concerns as Postecoglou lacked a European career aside from his time at Celtic, but he created a storm by putting Tottenham at the top of the Premier League early in the season.
At this point, it seemed that manager Postecoglou's confidence in 'attacking football' was shining through. However, this did not last long. A monotonous attacking strategy and overly ambitious match operations began to create small holes, and injuries due to intense training and play emerged, leading to a collapse in the second half.
This season was even worse. Tottenham suffered a 1-4 comeback defeat against Brighton in the final Premier League match, 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 goals conceded). They ended up ranking 17th, marking the worst performance in Premier League history for the club. The previous record low was 15th in the 1993-1994 season.
They also set a new record for the most losses in a single season. Tottenham had last recorded 20 losses in the 1912-1913 season, prior to the establishment of the Premier League in 1992, in a 38-match system, but this time, they added two more losses. With 22 losses, they tied the record for the most losses in a season in the club's history across all formats.
However, manager Postecoglou will be remembered as a legend for bringing the first trophy to Tottenham in 17 years. Tottenham defeated Manchester United 1-0 in the UEFA Europa League final last month, claiming their first European trophy in 41 years. Son Heung-min also finally secured his first career title.
As a result, the sentiments of Tottenham fans, who had been persistently chanting 'Postecoglou OUT' for months, began to shift. Nonetheless, Chairman Daniel Levy remained unfazed and took decisive action. Ultimately, manager Postecoglou stepped down from the Tottenham helm just 16 days after lifting the trophy in the UEL final.
The departing manager Postecoglou left a final message saying, "Looking back at my time as Tottenham manager, the greatest feeling is pride. Leading one of England's historic football clubs and restoring the glory they deserve is an experience that I will cherish forever in my life."
He also added, "I was able to share that experience with everyone who truly loves this club. Seeing the impact it had on them is something I will never forget. I want to thank those I was with every day over the past two years. The wonderful young players, who have now become legends of this club, and our excellent coaching staff, who never doubted that we could achieve something special. We are forever connected."
Meanwhile, Thomas Frank, the Brentford manager, is a leading candidate to become Tottenham's next head coach. It seems that only the official procedures remain, as discussions have already taken place behind the scenes.
UK's Sky Sports reported, "Frank is a strong candidate to replace Ange Postecoglou. He has a buyout clause, and if he receives permission from Brentford, he would be interested in talking to Tottenham." They added, "Brentford does not want to stand in the way if Frank wishes to move to a bigger club. However, they do not plan to let him go for a bargain price."
Official negotiations are expected to begin soon. Sky Sports added, "Frank has a buyout clause in his contract, which is widely known to be 10 million pounds (approximately 18.4 billion won). No official offers have been made yet, but they are expected to come from Tottenham soon. Frank is likely to be interested in conversations with Tottenham."
Frank has been in charge of Brentford since 2018 and is being hailed as a hero for leading a team that was struggling in the lower leagues to a mid-table place in the Premier League. Last summer, he garnered interest from Manchester United and Chelsea. His flexible use of the 3-5-2 or 4-3-3 formation, with an emphasis on strong pressure and quick attacks, suits the attacking football Tottenham desires.
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