Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy has given reasons why Ange Postecoglou was sacked two weeks after winning the club’s first major trophy in 17 years.
Postecoglou was dismissed 16 days after guiding Spurs to a 1-0 victory over Manchester United in the Europa League final in Bilbao.
Despite the European success, Tottenham finished a shocking 17th in the Premier League, narrowly avoiding relegation, an outcome Levy says could not be overlooked.
“We need to compete in all competitions, and we felt that we needed a change,” Levy said.
“Emotionally, it was difficult, but we feel we’ve made the right decision for the club.”
Postecoglou had enjoyed a strong debut season, finishing fifth in the league, but Spurs regressed dramatically in his second year, prompting the board to act swiftly.
Levy, who has been at the helm of Spurs for over 25 years, appointed Thomas Frank as the club’s 13th permanent manager under his tenure. The former Brentford boss signed a contract running until 2028.
“I don’t regret appointing Ange, I’m very grateful to him. But failure is not an option,” Levy added. “The desire to succeed drives us. Because it’s so difficult, I want it even more.”
Newly appointed chief executive Vinai Venkatesham, who joined from Arsenal, said the process to replace Postecoglou was thorough but fast and that Frank was a standout candidate.
“We analysed more than 30 candidates and defined 10 key characteristics for success at Spurs. Thomas was number one,” said Venkatesham.
“He’s an outstanding developer of young talent, which aligns with the direction we want to take.”
