Ange Postecoglou has revealed that he knew his Tottenham dismissal was inevitable, even before lifting the Europa League trophy that ended the club’s 16-year silverware drought. The Australian coach, who recently took over as Nottingham Forest manager, spoke candidly about his turbulent spell in North London ahead of his Premier League return this weekend.
Why Was Postecoglou’s Spurs Exit Expected?
Postecoglou guided Tottenham to their first major title since 2008, defeating Manchester United in the Europa League final. However, Spurs’ domestic collapse told a different story. They finished 17th in the Premier League, their worst top-flight standing since the 1976/77 season. The coach admitted the writing was on the wall well before the final.
“It wasn’t great. I knew it was coming so it wasn’t a surprise. I knew it was coming a fair way before the final,” he told reporters. “We won it and had the parade and had a great three days and I didn’t want to tarnish that, but I knew it was done.”
How Does Postecoglou Reflect on His Spurs Tenure?
Despite the bitter end, the 60-year-old insists he remains proud of his time with the club. “I had two years where it was very challenging but we were with some fantastic people in the football department,” he said. He added that Spurs fans still show him immense gratitude: “There isn’t a Spurs supporter that I come across now that doesn’t want to hug me and take me home for dinner. So I must have done something right.”
Spurs have since parted ways with long-serving chairman Daniel Levy, who played a role in Postecoglou’s exit. The manager, however, avoided criticism. “I didn’t have a great deal of interaction with Daniel Levy. He was there for a very long time. He invested a hell of a lot in the football club in terms of building it up to where it was. Obviously, he appointed me so I’ve got to be thankful for that.”
As Postecoglou prepares for his first match in charge of Forest against Arsenal.
By Yockshard Enyendi
