The mayor of one of Australia’s biggest cities has asked Tottenham Hotspur to “reconsider” their decision to sack head coach Ange Postecoglou, adding they risk being “known as the team that is allergic to silverware”.
The 59-year-old Postecoglou, who was born in Greece but grew up in Melbourne in the Australian state of Victoria, was relieved of his duties by Tottenham on Friday after two seasons at the helm.
He led Spurs to their first trophy in 17 years when they won the Europa League on May 21 but oversaw a league campaign that ended with a 17th-place finish and 22 losses, both record lows for the club in the Premier League era.
Postecoglou spent the majority of his playing career with South Melbourne FC — a club founded by Greek immigrants and originally known as South Melbourne Hellas — and was head coach of the team between 1996 and 2000.
After leading Australia at the 2014 World Cup and winning the 2015 Asian Cup as head coach of the national team, Postecoglou remains popular in his home city and nation, with Lord Mayor of Melbourne Nicholas Reece even taking the step to publicly urge Tottenham to reverse their decision.
“On behalf of the people of Melbourne, and Premier League fans around the world, I call on Tottenham Hotspur to reconsider its decision to sack coach Ange Postecoglou,” said Mr Reece in a post on Instagram. “In Melbourne we have followed Ange’s career closely for decades.
“Never underestimate Ange’s determination to win, and his ability to carry teams to greatness. We have seen this time again over his career. This year Tottenham made history by winning the Europa League trophy — its first such win in 17 years. We will see further trophies if Ange is given the chance.
“Don’t let Tottenham be known as the team that is allergic to silverware. Let Ange lead the players onto greatness in next year’s Premier League campaign.”
Mr Reece is a member of Australia’s Labor Party and assumed his role in July 2024, before retaining it in the 2024 Melbourne City Council election.
Tottenham are yet to confirm Postecoglou’s replacement. The Athletic reported on Monday that the club had contacted Brentford as they seek to reach an agreement to appoint Thomas Frank as head coach.
(Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)