Ange Postecoglou has been sacked as Tottenham manager 16 days after leading them to victory in the Europa League final.
A 1-0 win over Manchester United in Bilbao brought Spurs a first major trophy for 17 years.
However, it came towards the end of their worst Premier League season, with the London club finishing 17th after losing 22 of their 38 matches.
The Australian told fans “season three is better than season two” as they gathered at a victory parade to mark European success in his second campaign.
But the 59-year-old’s time in north London has ended two years to the day after Spurs announced he would join them from Celtic on a four-year contract.
Brentford boss Thomas Frank is among the leading candidates to replace Postecoglou. Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola, Fulham’s Marco Silva, Crystal Palace’s Oliver Glasner and former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino – now managing the United States – are among the other candidates to have been considered.
Spurs said in a statement Postecoglou would be remembered for delivering “one of the club’s greatest moments” in becoming only the third manager to win them a European trophy.
But they added they could not base their decision on “emotions aligned to this triumph” and felt a change was necessary after a “review of performances”.
Tottenham finished fifth in Postecoglou’s first season in charge before he kept his promise to provide silverware in his second year.
“The opportunity to lead one of England’s historic football clubs and bring back the glory it deserves will live with me for a lifetime,” he said in a statement.
“That night in Bilbao was the culmination of two years of hard work, dedication and unwavering belief in a dream.”
Of managers with 100 or more games in charge of the club, Postecoglou ranks seventh with a 46.5% win percentage from 101 matches in all competitions (47 wins, 15 draws and 39 losses).
Tottenham’s decision to sack the man who guided them to a first trophy since 2008 will divide opinion across their fanbase.
He becomes the fourth Spurs manager – after Jose Mourinho, Nuno Espirito Santo and Antonio Conte – to lose his job since Pochettino was sacked in November 2019, less than four months after taking them to the Champions League final.
Postecoglou’s reign began in spectacular fashion, despite the exit of the club’s all-time leading scorer Harry Kane to Bayern Munich.
Spurs set the pace in the early stages of the 2023-24 Premier League season by taking 26 points from their first 10 games, with former Australia boss Postecoglou winning three consecutive manager of the month awards. (BBC)
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