The Guardian

Pochettino says Tottenham links are ‘not realistic’ after USMNT loss to Turkey

Submitted by daniel on Sun, 08/06/2025 - 08:33

Mauricio Pochettino pushed back against suggestions he is a candidate to take over the newly-vacant Tottenham Hotspur managerial position, telling reporters on Saturday that it was “not realistic” for him to leave his current role as US men’s national team manager.

Pochettino had been considered a possible candidate to replace Ange Postecoglou, who was sacked by Tottenham on 6 June despite him leading the club to Europa League glory – the club’s first trophy in 17 years. However, Tottenham finished 17th in the Premier League, their lowest position since 1977.

Pochettino enjoyed a successful run at Spurs from 2014 to 2019, challenging for the Premier League title in 2016 and advancing to the Champions League final in his last season. He was let go because of Tottenham’s league performance – the club finished 14th.

“After I left [Tottenham] in 2019, every time [the manager position] is free … my name appeared on the list,” Pochettino said following USA’s 2-1 loss to Turkey in a friendly on Saturday afternoon. “If you have seen the rumors, I think we are 100 coaches on the list of the club. Don’t be worried about that. If something happens, we for sure will see. But we cannot talk about this type of thing because I think today it’s not real. I think it’s not realistic. And look – where I am, where we are? The answer is so clear, no?”

Pochettino took over the US national team at the end of 2024 and has overseen a mixed bag of performances in his first nine months. Saturday’s friendly was seen mostly as a way to regain the team’s footing after a pair of far below-par outings in March’s Nations League finals, with the team losing to Panama and Canada and looking generally listless throughout.

Even though they lost, the US played with far more verve against Turkey than they had in March. Pochettino has called in a younger and less-experienced squad for this summer’s games, with several of the team’s first-choice stars out – either by choice, for health reasons, for personal reasons, or due to their club’s participation in the Club World Cup. Jack McGlynn, one of those newcomers, opened the scoring on Saturday with a signature curling effort from outside the box. Later that half, two defensive miscues in about three minutes doomed the Americans, with both resulting in goals.

The Guardian

Bilbao was a glorious blip for Spurs – and that’s why Levy had to sack Postecoglou

Submitted by daniel on Sat, 07/06/2025 - 20:01

In football, there is always a lot of light and noise. There is always a lot of emotion. That is both its appeal and why it is so difficult for those in the game to make decisions. Ange Postecoglou gave Tottenham one of the great nights in the club’s history when they won the Europa League in Bilbao.

A first trophy in 17 years. A first European trophy in 41. It’s easy to understand why the instinct is gratitude, to hope that somehow victory can be self-replicating, that silverware begets silverware and something fundamental in Tottenham’s being was transformed at San Mamés.

But the question really shouldn’t be how you felt about Postecoglou at 11pm CET on 21 May, but how you felt at 9pm. It makes no sense for anybody to have changed their mind on whether Postecoglou should stay on the basis of a dreadful performance from Manchester United and a goal scrambled in off Luke Shaw’s arm.

When Postecoglou said he always wins something in his second season, the underlying logic was that it takes that long for the players to absorb his principles and put them into practice. Was there any sense of that in the Europa League success? Did it feel Tottenham had slowly been building to that?

On the contrary, the wins against Eintracht Frankfurt in the quarter-final, Bodø/Glimt in the semi-final and then United in the final weren’t rooted in Angeball as we had come to understand it, but in sitting deep, playing without the ball and striking on the break. On the one hand, credit is due for adapting, albeit largely because the high-intensity football Postecoglou prefers became unsustainable with a squad of injured and exhausted players, but on the other that removes any argument that the Europa League win was the result of an ongoing process.

A case perhaps could be made that the new pragmatic Postecoglou would have prospered in the Premier League next season. He was unfortunate with injuries – while acknowledging the intensity of his style may have played a part in that crisis. He was dealing with a very young squad. But that requires a leap of faith Daniel Levy was not prepared to make. Who did not watch Paris Saint-Germain ripping through Inter in the Champions League and wonder with a shudder what that might look like against a Postecoglou defence in the Super Cup in August?

Precedents in football should be treated with caution: there’s no reason to assume what happened with one particular manager at one particular club in one particular set of circumstances will necessarily repeat with a different manager at a different club in a different set of circumstances. But the memory of Erik ten Hag casts an unavoidable shadow: Spurs could not afford to find themselves in the position United did last October, sacking a manager three months after allowing his ideas to shape summer spending and in effect writing off another season.

Tottenham have their own precedents: Juande Ramos went eight months after the 2008 League Cup final and Mauricio Pochettino five and half months after the 2019 Champions League final. Ramos’s side were bottom of the league, Pochettino’s 14th. Levy has experienced the cost of an autumn sacking.

If there were doubts, best to act upon them; Levy signalled his intention fairly clearly in his programme notes for the final game of the season. And, for all Danny Blanchflower’s line that the game is about glory has been thrown at Spurs since the decision was taken, Postecoglou’s departure leaves the glory of Bilbao unsullied by future failure.

There is a beauty in the simplicity of the narrative arc: glory at the last, delivering on the promise of a trophy in the second season (albeit a glory that owed a lot to having significantly more resources than most clubs in the competition). That Postecoglou was dismissed two years to the day after his appointment was announced underlined the sense of a cycle ending.

The question then is what comes next. Tottenham’s preference is for somebody with Premier League experience, which is understandable enough. The league is uniquely relentless, as evidenced by Bruno Fernandes’s comment about Ruben Amorim’s surprise at how good Ipswich were. That presents particular pressures that can grind managers down. It removes some of the risk to turn to a manager familiar with that.

There is, though, always the fear that a manager cannot step up. The level of scrutiny, the expectations, at Tottenham are far greater than those at, say, Brentford or Fulham. Another autumn sacking must also haunt Levy: that of Nuno Espírito Santo, whose reign lasted 17 games over four months. He never seemed the right fit for the club and had been undermined by so obviously being not the first, or even the second or the third, choice for the role.

Thomas Frank seems the preferred option, but that would require paying compensation to Brentford in excess of £10m. Levy is renowned for his willingness for protracted negotiations, but this is a case where swift resolution should take priority, even if it ends up costing a couple of million more than it might.

Already there has been some online grumbling that Spurs should not be appointing from Brentford, which is absurd given the job Frank has done (Brentford finished the season 10th on the 19th-highest wage bill in the Premier League) and how things turned out with the two big-name managers Tottenham have recently appointed, José Mourinho and Antonio Conte.

But Postecoglou has left a problem for whoever succeeds him, both in terms of style and achievement. If the new manager starts slowly, there will be immediate grumbles that they are not building on the Europa League success and that the football is not so much fun as it was under Postecoglou, the 22 league defeats last season occluded by the gleam of silverware. Does a trophy win outweigh finishing fourth-bottom of the league?

Perhaps that’s not the right question. Personnel decisions should be based less on what has been done than on what is likely to be done and Levy evidently saw Bilbao as a glorious blip rather than a harbinger of a spectacular future. On that logic, change was the only option.

The Guardian

‘A Spurs legend forever’: players hail Ange Postecoglou in wake of sacking

Submitted by daniel on Sat, 07/06/2025 - 09:11

Son Heung-min has praised Ange Postecoglou as a “Tottenham Hotspur legend” as the club’s supporters’ trust expressed “concern” with another change in manager.

Postecoglou ended Spurs’ 17-year wait for silverware with Europa League success over Manchester United in Bilbao on 21 May, but it failed to earn the Australian a third season. A club statement on Friday announcing Postecoglou’s departure highlighted a woeful Premier League campaign where Tottenham finished 17th, their lowest top-flight finish since relegation in 1977.

Son, the club captain, was one of several Spurs players to pay tribute to Postecoglou, writing on Instagram: “Gaffer. You’ve changed the trajectory of this club. You believed in yourself, and us, since day one and never wavered for a second. Even when others did.

“You knew what we were capable of all along. You did it your way. And your way brought this club the best night it’s had in decades. We will have those memories for life. You trusted me with the captaincy. One of the highest honours of my career.

“It’s been an incredible privilege to learn from your leadership up close, I am a better player and a better person because of you. Ange Postecoglou, you are a Tottenham Hotspur legend forever. Thank you, mate.”

The goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario was Postecoglou’s first signing and said: “You are not only a top manager, you are an incredible person to work for, a real leader, a mentor, and someone I’ll always look up to. What we achieved together will stay in the history books. Wishing you nothing but success as I know you will go on to achieve more and more. Thank you, Boss.”

The defender Micky van de Ven added: “Gaffer, thank you for everything! Believed in me from the first day I arrived at the club. Many ups and downs in the last two years but you kept believing in us and kept pushing us. Big part of the success from the club this year, and forever grateful that u made me part of it. All the best.”

Dominic Solanke, signed for Spurs last summer in a £65m deal, said: “Thank you for bringing me to this wonderful club, thank you for bringing us a wonderful trophy. [I] won’t ever forget the convo we had before I signed and we achieved a dream! All the best in your next adventure.”

The defender Pedro Porro insisted the 59-year-old would “always be celebrated”, writing: “Thank you for everything, boss. I’ll always be grateful for the way you led us, defended us, and kept us going through all the highs and lows. Above everything, you gave us one of the greatest moments in the club’s history and for that, you’ll always be celebrated.”

Richarlison added: “Everyone who loves the Spurs will remember that Big Ange always bags trophies in his second season.”

The Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust thanked Postecoglou for an “amazing night” in Bilbao but acknowledged league results were a “long way short” of expectation. “Our concern now is that it appears we will have yet another change of direction and that this is something that is becoming a habit since we said goodbye to Mauricio Pochettino in 2019,” a THST statement read.

“We can only hope that the right decision has been made and that the new manager is fully supported by the board and everyone at the club to build on the cup success that Ange has lain. He will need the finances to build a strong squad that can challenge simultaneously on many fronts. We wish whoever is appointed well. Spurs fans have had a taste of glory and we don’t want to wait another 17 years for more.”

The Guardian

Spurs hunt for new manager, England face Andorra in World Cup qualifier – matchday live

Submitted by daniel on Sat, 07/06/2025 - 08:02

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An alternative managerial target for Spurs perhaps if they fail to sign Thomas Frank?

Suzanne Wrack

Sarina Wiegman’s 23-player squad is pretty much what many expected; Lauren James is winning her battle to be fit and ready, according to the manager, Lotte Wubben-Moy and Esme Morgan have received the nod in defence and the young Arsenal forward Michelle Agyemang is the wildcard pick.

There are gaps, though. Looking down the list there is a lack of experience in goal without Mary Earps and there are only five named midfielders for the month-long tournament in Switzerland and one of those is Georgia Stanway, who has played only an hour of football since December (45 minutes against Spain on Tuesday evening and 15 minutes against Portugal last Friday night).

England’s Euro 2025 squad in full:

Goalkeepers: Hannah Hampton, Khiara Keating, Anna Moorhouse.

Defenders: Lucy Bronze, Jess Carter, Niamh Charles, Alex Greenwood, Maya Le Tissier, Esme Morgan, Leah Williamson, Lotte Wubben-Moy.

Midfielders: Grace Clinton, Jess Park, Georgia Stanway, Ella Toone, Keira Walsh.

Forwards: Michelle Agyemang, Aggie Beever-Jones, Lauren Hemp, Lauren James, Chloe Kelly, Beth Mead, Alessia Russo.

In case you missed it, Sarina Wiegman named her England squad for Euro 2025 on Thursday.

Millie Bright was absent after making herself unavailable on Wednesday, as were Mary Earps and Fran Kirby who both retired from international duty in the days leading up to the announcement.

Lauren James earned a call-up as she continues to recover from a hamstring injury, with 19-year-old Michelle Agyemang also making the 23-player squad.

Arsenal reached a mutual agreement with Jorginho to end his contract with immediate effect on Friday. The midfielder will now join Flamengo as a free agent in time for the Club World Cup, which starts next weekend.

Thoughts, West Ham fans?

Charlie, a Brentford fan, is hopeful that Thomas Frank will stay at the Gtech Community Stadium amid ongoing interest from Tottenham:

“As a Brentford fan I am greatly enjoying the snobbishness of Spurs fans who don’t want Thomas Frank. Please keep it up until he stays. Those grumbling about the risk of playing effective football should cast their minds back to what he did with the Benrahma-Mbeumo-Watkins team that narrowly failed to go up, when he had the most exciting attacking talent and used it to devastating effect, rather than aiming for Europe with one of the smallest budgets the Premier League has seen. Oh and we still play pretty decent stuff now established anyway.”

Martin Pegan

Ange Postecoglou took Tottenham Hotspur on the wildest of rides. A record-breaking run to begin his first Premier League campaign in charge. An injury-riddled slump that led Spurs to within sight of relegation the next season. A promise to win a trophy in his second year. The club’s first piece of silverware since 2008. The sack coming just 16 days later.

Fulham announce death of Malcolm Elias

Fulham head of academy recruitment Malcolm Elias, who developed the likes of Gareth Bale and Trent Alexander-Arnold, has died. Elias arrived in west London from Liverpool in 2009 and had a keen eye for developing young talent which included Bale, Alexander-Arnold, Theo Walcott and Harvey Elliott among others.

A statement on the Fulham website said: “It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our colleague and dear friend, Malcolm Elias, after a short illness. The club’s head of academy recruitment, Malcolm had a fantastic reputation in football for unearthing and nurturing young talent.

“The influence that Malcolm had on the modern game cannot be understated, having worked with and developed the likes of Theo Walcott, Gareth Bale, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Harvey Elliott, Luke Harris and Jay Stansfield, to name but a few.”

Tottenham stars pay tribute to Postecoglou

Son Heung-min, Guglielmo Vicario, Micky van de Ven and Richarlison were among the Tottenham stars to pay tribute to Ange Postecoglou following his dismissal on Friday.

Son, the club captain, wrote on Instagram: “Gaffer. You’ve changed the trajectory of this club. You believed in yourself, and us, since day one and never wavered for a second. Even when others did.

Paul is confident that Tottenham will succeed if they appoint Thomas Frank to replace Ange Postecoglou:

“There’s probably been too much over thinking on this. I sent this message to my son last night.

”It’s the right decision. He can leave a hero and will always be welcomed back.

£100m just for turning up in the CL is too much to gamble on him getting top four.

I know Frank hasn’t managed at CL level and he may be out of his depth but, personally, I’ve been walking out of games during the tenure of the last 3 managers. That needs to stop and if Frank gets me to stay 90+ minutes every week, he’s a step up! It will be interesting whether Frank can attract top quality signings. I see Manor Solomon’s coming back. Not a good start to the window!!”

Bukayo Saka is expected to be absent from the England matchday squad this afternoon. The Arsenal winger suffered a knock in the final match of the Premier League season against Southampton and is yet to return to full fitness.

Head coach Thomas Tuchel said: “He came into camp with a little bit of discomfort from the last match against Southampton, so we took care of him and treated him individually until today [Friday] basically. It was the first training session that he started and finished with the group. Yesterday, he started with the group but did not finish with the group, so let’s see.”

Updated at 10.07 CEST

Thomas Tuchel is looking to solve England’s physical problems ahead of next summer’s World Cup in North America. The head coach wants to harness the traditional virtues of the English game – namely pace, strength and aggression. But he is aware that searing temperatures await at many of the venues for the finals in the US, Canada and Mexico next summer and, as such, it will be vital to be able to play in different styles.

Solomon has a different view of the current managerial situation at Spurs:

“As a Spurs fan, I’ll forever be grateful to Ange for getting us a European cup. It won’t stop the Spursy memes but now no one can say we haven’t won anything! Having said that, Levy made the right decision, one that has been obvious for a while now and is perfectly summarised by our dismal performance in the league.

“Ange-ball can’t make it in the PL, and being entertained is only fun when it’s accompanied with results. After the initial novelty wore off, it was fairly straightforward for opposing managers to set themselves up for Ange-ball, and the results dried up. If the next manager can make us competitive with teams like Forest, Bournemouth, etc. in the next season, that would be a start.”

Updated at 09.51 CEST

John Rudd has messaged in with his view on the dismissal of Ange Postecoglou:

“Daniel Levy and the board don’t quite know what they want. How much money have they paid out to out going managers over the last 10 years or so? With the league form so dismal and the English media assassinating Ange all season long. It was always just going to happen (being sacked). No doubt next season Tottenham will finish mid table and another manager will go by the wayside. I will add that Ange-ball never has experienced this level of injury. It makes me wonder if it was the playing style or just players being incredibly unlucky. It’s a shame his style didn’t succeed. Let’s see Burnley 5-4-1 formation and wonder if the Prem League will ever see high octane football again.”

Here’s a reminder of the England squad available for today’s match against Andorra and Tuesday’s international friendly against Senegal.

Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson, Jordan Pickford, James Trafford.

Defenders: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dan Burn, Trevoh Chalobah, Levi Colwill, Reece James, Ezri Konsa, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Kyle Walker.

Midfielders: Jude Bellingham, Conor Gallagher, Morgan Gibbs-White, Jordan Henderson, Curtis Jones, Cole Palmer, Declan Rice, Morgan Rogers.

Forwards: Eberechi Eze, Anthony Gordon, Harry Kane, Noni Madueke, Bukayo Saka, Ivan Toney.

David Hytner

Ange Postecoglou advanced his case to the last. And it was a measure not only of his ability to own the narrative, to master it, but his body of work at Tottenham that he was able to do so with such conviction.

As always, I want to hear from you today! What are your thoughts on Ange Postecoglou’s dismissal? Did he deserve to be sacked? Who will replace him?

Also, will you be watching England later today? Which starting XI should Thomas Tuchel go for? Let me know.

In case you somehow missed it, Tottenham sacked Ange Postecoglou yesterday despite the 59-year-old leading them to their first trophy in 17 years. It is understood that Thomas Frank is one of the top candidates for the job.

Preamble

Hello, good morning and welcome to another matchday live! Today we’re counting down to England’s third World Cup qualifier against Andorra, with the Three Lions looking to extend their lead at the top of Group K. Thomas Tuchel is expected to name a strong line-up for the clash, although he could be without Bukayo Saka, who is recovering from a knock.

We’ll also bring you the latest football news, including the fallout and reaction from Ange Postecoglou’s dismissal and the latest transfer talk.

Join me!

The Guardian

Ange Postecoglou’s wild ride ends at Spurs after steering Australia back to the big time

Submitted by daniel on Sat, 07/06/2025 - 05:21

All-out attack. Defensive dare. Stirring late comebacks. Calamitous and costly goals conceded at the death. No score was safe. No Spurs supporter, let alone pundit, was left without an entrenched view of his capabilities as a coach. No football fan, whether in north London or as far away as Australia, dared to look away.

The hair-raising adventure is one that Australian football fans have been on before. During Postecoglou’s time in charge of the men’s national team, as the Socceroos failed to earn a point in a horror group at the 2014 World Cup but rallied to win the Asian Cup the following year. When the coach had earlier led Brisbane Roar to a pair of A-League championships, and later won the J1 League with Yokohama F.Marinos and five trophies with Scottish giants Celtic. A manic press in attack. A high line in defence. Goals at both ends. Peaks and troughs across each game, let alone during a full campaign. A rollercoaster ride has always been part of the Postecoglou experience.

Taking the show on the road to Japan and Scotland sparked fresh Australian interest in Postecoglou’s teams and those leagues. But bringing it to the Premier League has steered Australia back to the big time. Not since the days when Tim Cahill, Harry Kewell and Mark Viduka graced the main stage have Australians been given such a solid reason to support a second English team. As fans relished watching Postecoglou rattle the football establishment, Tottenham Hotspur became the hottest club in his distant homeland.

A whirlwind stirred up around a brash foreign manager arriving in the Premier League is nothing new. A laconic Australian demeanour and press conferences peppered with gratuitous use of the term “mate” – while otherwise doing little to conceal a hard edge and stubborn confidence – left fans as much as the media hanging off his every word, while his compatriots were warmed by a sense of pride. The 59-year-old has been unwavering in his ideals, for better or worse, throughout his coaching journey. Postecoglou is not just comfortable dividing opinion. He often appears to go out of his way to hammer a wedge through it.

But whether Spurs’ ruthless decision to axe a coach who led the club to a European title just 16 days earlier is the right call is much less clear and will remain one up for debate. After a fifth-place finish in the Premier League, just two points and one spot short of a ticket to the Champions League, Postecoglou this season guided Spurs to their lowest top-flight points total in more than a century. Did Spurs pay a heavy price for their commitment to an intense style that caused the heart of the side to be ripped out through injury? Or was the coach handed a poisoned chalice with a thin squad relying too much on talented youth to compete on multiple fronts and then go all-in on a knockout competition in the chase for silverware?

Whether or not their Premier League campaign was truly allowed to just wither away, as Postecoglou has since suggested, Spurs found a back door to the lucrative continental competition on an emotion-charged night in Bilbao. Spurs’ 17-year trophy drought was finally broken with Europa League glory, leading to lifelong memories to be created in the Spanish city and later on the streets of north London, while Postecoglou was lauded back home as one of Australia’s great exports. It was as much validation for Australian football as a victory for a favourite son. Proof that one of our own not only belonged on the global stage, but could conquer it – even if for one night only.

The response in Australia to Postecoglou’s sacking has, perhaps unsurprisingly, been centred around dismay and disappointment rather than simply one of shock. Spurs, under chair Daniel Levy, are after all a club that sacked Mauricio Pochettino mere months after he took them to the 2019 Champions League final. Another divisive coach in José Mourinho was let go in the week leading into the 2021 League Cup decider. Here is further proof that winning a trophy isn’t necessarily everything in the high stakes world of football, or even just enough to save a coach’s job. Spurs will now have another new manager for the Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain in August, and never find out whether season three under Postecoglou would have been better than season two.

Postecoglou has arrived at a new coaching frontier after being sent packing while still under contract. Where he lands next, whether looking to right any perceived wrongs back in the Premier League or as a breath of fresh air elsewhere in Europe, we can be sure that he will take his principles with him and that Australian football fans will follow.

The Guardian

Ange-ball was breath of fresh air but Europa League alone could not save him

Submitted by daniel on Fri, 06/06/2025 - 21:12

The manager was charged with three tasks when he was given the job in June 2023. To overhaul the team’s playing style, essentially to make them more entertaining. To reboot the squad with an emphasis on youth. And to win. Actually, there was a fourth, which talked to pretty much everything. To reshape the culture around the club, unifying everyone behind a cause, an identity.

The way that Postecoglou told it and will continue to tell it as he processes how he has become the latest statistic of the Daniel Levy era is he delivered on the principle three. And, despite all the external negativity, he struck a telling blow at the very end in the battle to tick the final box.

Ange-ball was a breath of fresh air at Spurs, the counterpoint to the counterattacking of the previous three managers – José Mourinho, Nuno Espírito Santo and Antonio Conte. The club’s fans want their team to play on the front foot, to take chances and there is no doubt that Postecoglou has the same vision. It is how he always looks to set up, with pace and aggression, the change showcased to wide eyes from his first match – the pre‑season friendly against West Ham in Australia. The difference to what had been before was radical.

Postecoglou bought into the selection policy, the bets on players with high ceilings for improvement, even if he knew that moving on a good number of experienced ones, starting with Harry Kane, was a risk. In a sense the approach has represented Levy going back to what he has long believed in. A part of Postecoglou’s legacy is the successful promotion of a host of young signings – including Micky van de Ven, Lucas Bergvall, Archie Gray and Brennan Johnson. You can also include Destiny Udogie, who was new to the squad when Postecoglou arrived and also Pape Sarr, who had not played much for the team.

The most robust pillar of Postecoglou’s legacy is, of course, what he and the team achieved in the Europa League, beating Manchester United in the final in Bilbao to draw a thick line under the club’s 17-year trophy drought. It was so much more than Postecoglou making good on his “I always win things in my second season” comment.

The triumph brought a mass outpouring of emotion among supporters who have been mocked without mercy by their rivals in London and beyond. For those that made it to Bilbao, in particular, it was the night that will live for ever in their hearts. It has lifted a weight from the club, breaking a cycle that had almost become self-perpetuating, providing a riposte to the pundits who, as Postecoglou would have it, are quick to lead the pile-ons; to all of those who do.

Elite-level football is about the do-or-die moments. One result really can change perceptions, how a club feels about itself; the same with people on the outside. Thanks to Postecoglou, Spurs can call themselves winners. They have even kicked down the backdoor into the Champions League. So, how has Levy made this decision, one that has triggered the inevitable backlash? Trust him to sack a manager who has actually won. It is because Levy does not like winners. It is not who Spurs are, mate.

Here is the thing. When Levy weighed up the case against Postecoglou, he found that – weirdly, uniquely – it also carried an irresistible strength. The chair loved Bilbao. He is grateful to Postecoglou for it. But what Levy wants is more than a one-punch knockout. Consider the line in his programme notes from the last game of the season against Brighton.

“The Europa League is one trophy – our clear ambition as a club has always been long-term, sustained success … competing for top honours every year,” he wrote.

For the majority of his tenure, Postecoglou sung from the same hymn sheet. He said that a cup victory would not be a “panacea”. Consistency in the Premier League was the priority. Do that and the rest would take care of itself. He changed his tune from around the turn of the year, a shift born out of circumstance – specifically an injury-hit squad being unable to fight on multiple fronts.

Postecoglou would put everything on the Europa League, coming to rest and rotate for it; an all-or-nothing gamble, which he felt paid off handsomely. And yet – as even he admitted – not everyone at the club was happy with the strategy.

In the final analysis, Levy was unable to look beyond the league form and the sample size was huge. After Postecoglou made a thrilling start to his tenure, winning eight and drawing two of 10 league matches, his record in the competition read: P66 W23 D9 L34 Pts 78. Do the sums and it is 45 points per 38 games, the length of a season. This time out, Spurs collected just 38 points to limp home in 17th. Only once in their history have they had a worse record – in 1914-15 when they won eight and drew 12 of 38 matches.

In the Europa League knockout rounds, Postecoglou’s team beat AZ, Eintracht Frankfurt, Bodø/ Glimt and the worst version of United since 1973-74 according to league statistics. In the cold light of day, Levy concluded that the run could not make up for the consistent vulnerability in the league.

He looked past Postecoglou’s assertion that 17th was a false position because of the bet on Europe; it was unacceptable, a failure to balance the demands. How could Levy be confident that Postecoglou would manage better in a Champions League season? Furthermore, were the injuries not a consequence of his full-throttle approach?

Whither Ange-ball? It was to Postecoglou’s credit that he rowed back on some of his fundamentals – most notably in the Europa League. One of the defining images of his tenure was in the early weeks against Chelsea when, despite two red cards, he ordered all of his remaining outfield players to hold a defensive line on halfway. That seems like a long time ago, as did the giddy praise for such derring-do. Equally, we did not see much of the fast and incisive stuff in his closing months.

“Are you not entertained?” Postecoglou once memorably asked, channelling his inner Gladiator. Yes, Ange, we were. The English game has lost a compelling character.

The Guardian

Tottenham sack Ange Postecoglou and weigh up move for £10m Thomas Frank

Submitted by daniel on Fri, 06/06/2025 - 18:30

Tottenham sack Ange Postecoglou as head coach despite Europa League glory - The Guardian

Tottenham have sacked Ange Postecoglou as their manager, describing it as “one of the toughest decisions we have had to make”, and are considering whether to replace him with Brentford’s Thomas Frank, who has a £10m release clause.

Postecoglou led Spurs to Europa League glory on 21 May, beating Manchester United in the final in Bilbao to end a 17-year trophy drought. It sparked delirium among the fans, an outpouring of relief and the feeling among some of them that he deserved the chance to continue in the role.

But the chair, Daniel Levy, and the rest of the board, having taken stock since the final game of the season against Brighton on 25 May, reached the unanimous conclusion that Postecoglou had to go based on performances in the Premier League over most of his two-year tenure.

Postecoglou won eight and drew two of his opening 10 games in the competition, having arrived from Celtic with Spurs at a low ebb on the back of an eighth-placed finish in 2022-23. But his league record since then showed 78 points from 66 matches – a detail that Spurs printed in the statement they issued at a little after 5pm BST to confirm Postecoglou’s departure.

The club also highlighted how the 17th-placed finish in this past season – with 38 points – was their worst of the Premier League era. Only once have they had a worse league record, in 1914-15.

As the Guardian reported earlier on Friday, Spurs have met with intermediaries to discuss a move for Frank, who has impressed with his stellar work at Brentford. The Dane moved to the club in October 2018 when they were in the Championship and got them promoted via the playoffs in 2020-21. He has established them in the top flight; they finished this past season 10th with 56 points.

Spurs, who have also considered Fulham’s Marco Silva, know what it would take to prise Frank away. Every player and member of staff at Brentford has a price. Spurs must decide whether to pay the £10m. The club have also shown an interest in Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola and Oliver Glasner of Crystal Palace – both appear out of reach.

Postecoglou will go down as a hero at Spurs because of Bilbao and he released an emotional statement shortly after his sacking, saying he was “forever connected” to his players and staff, not to mention the supporters. He said his overriding emotion was pride and that Bilbao would live with him for a lifetime.

“Bilbao was the culmination of two years of hard work, dedication and unwavering belief in a dream,” Postecoglou said. “There were many challenges to overcome and plenty of noise that comes with trying to accomplish what many said was not possible. We have also laid foundations that mean this club should not have to wait 17 more years for their next success.”

The Spurs statement acknowledged how Postecoglou had sought to return the club to a more attacking style while there was gratitude for the trophy he delivered, a line noting he was now “alongside legendary figures Bill Nicholson and Keith Burkinshaw” as managers who have triumphed in Europe.

It said: “At times there were extenuating circumstances [for the poor league form] – injuries and then a decision to prioritise our European campaign. Whilst winning the Europa League ranks as one of the club’s greatest moments, we cannot base our decision on emotions aligned to this triumph. It is crucial that we are able to compete on multiple fronts and believe a change of approach will give us the strongest chance for the coming season and beyond.”

The Guardian

Spurs move to sound out Thomas Frank as they weigh up Postecoglou’s future

Submitted by daniel on Fri, 06/06/2025 - 15:14

Tottenham have met with intermediaries to discuss a potential move for Brentford’s Thomas Frank. Spurs have been considering whether to persist with their manager, Ange Postecoglou, since the end of the season and his future remains in doubt.

Postecoglou brought glory to the club when he ended a 17-year trophy drought by overseeing a win over Manchester United in the Europa League final. The victory transformed the mood in and around Spurs, with some fans feeling he deserves the chance to carry on.

The chair, Daniel Levy, cannot easily overlook the disastrous Premier League campaign in which the team finished 17th with 38 points. Postecoglou admitted after the last match against Brighton on 25 May that he was in the dark over his future and the silence since then has not boded well.

Spurs are giving serious thought to Frank, having been impressed with his stellar work at Brentford. The Dane joined them in October 2018 when they were in the Championship and got them promoted via the playoffs in 2020-21. He has established them in the top-flight; they finished this past season 10th with 56 points.

Brentford have thought that Frank will stay with them for another season and there would be obstacles for Spurs to overcome, including paying to acquire him. They would also have to pay off Postecoglou, who has two years on his contract.

The Guardian

Spurs sack Ange Postecoglou as head coach after two years in job: football news – live

Submitted by daniel on Fri, 06/06/2025 - 09:16

Spurs to sound out Thomas Frank, Liverpool relaxed over Díaz comments: football news – live - The Guardian

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Alan Shearer, for one, isn’t impressed by Ange Postecoglou’s sacking. Here’s his response to the Spurs statement.

Ange signed off his statement with a bit of latin. Audere est Facer – “to dare is to do”.

Postecoglou issues statement on Tottenham sacking

And now it’s time for Ange to say his piece…

“When I reflect on my time as Manager of Tottenham Hotspur my overriding emotion is one of pride. 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.

“Sharing that experience with all those who truly love this club and seeing the impact it had on them is something I will never forget. That night in Bilbao was the culmination of two years of hard work, dedication and unwavering belief in a dream.

“There were many challenges to overcome and plenty of noise that comes with trying to accomplish what many said was not possible. We have also laid foundations that mean this club should not have to wait 7 more years for their next success.

“I have enormous faith in this group of players and know there is much more potential and growth in them.

“I sincerely want to thank those who are the lifeblood of the club, the supporters. I know there were some difficult times but I always felt that they wanted me to succeed and that gave me all the motivation I needed to push on.

“It’s important to acknowledge the hard working people at Spurs who gave me encouragement on a daily basis.

“And finally, I want to thank those who were with me every day for the last two years. A fantastic group of young men who are now legends of this football club and the brilliant coaches who never once doubted we could do something special.

“We are forever connected. Audere est Facere.”

Full Postecoglou statement from Tottenham

Here’s the full statement from the Tottenham website. At one point it notes: “We recorded 78 points from the last 66 PL games. This culminated in our worst-ever PL finish last season.”

The other damning sentence is: “It is crucial that we are able to compete on multiple fronts and believe a change of approach will give us the strongest chance for the coming season and beyond.”

Anyway, here it is in full:

“Following a review of performances and after significant reflection, the Club can announce that Ange Postecoglou has been relieved of his duties.

“Ange joined us from Celtic in the summer of 2023 and oversaw a period of change on the pitch, returning us to the attacking brand of football that has traditionally been associated with the Club, while writing a new chapter in our history by leading us to UEFA Europa League glory in Bilbao last month - an achievement that will live with us all forever.

“We are extremely grateful to Ange for his commitment and contribution during his two years at the Club. Ange will always be remembered as only the third manager in our history to deliver a European trophy, alongside legendary figures Bill Nicholson and Keith Burkinshaw.

“However, the Board has unanimously concluded that it is in the best interests of the Club for a change to take place. Following a positive start in the 2023/24 Premier League (PL) season, we recorded 78 points from the last 66 PL games. This culminated in our worst-ever PL finish last season. At times there were extenuating circumstances - injuries and then a decision to prioritise our European campaign. Whilst winning the Europa League this season ranks as one of the Club’s greatest moments, we cannot base our decision on emotions aligned to this triumph.

“It is crucial that we are able to compete on multiple fronts and believe a change of approach will give us the strongest chance for the coming season and beyond. This has been one of the toughest decisions we have had to make and is not a decision that we have taken lightly, nor one we have rushed to conclude. We have made what we believe is the right decision to give us the best chance of success going forward, not the easy decision.

“We have a talented, young squad and Ange has given us a great platform to build upon. We should like to express our gratitude to him. We wish him well for the future - he will always be welcome back at our home.

“News on the appointment of a new Head Coach will be announced in due course.”

Updated at 18.34 CEST

Tottenham have now officially announced Ange Postecoglou’s departure on social media with a graphic showing nine Ange’s of different sizes.

Updated at 18.17 CEST

Ange Postecoglou getting the sack. Fair? Unfair? It’s very reasonable to see it from both sides, even though we’re in an age of furiously nailing opinions to a particular side of the line.

It depends how you view the number 17 I guess.

He ended Tottenham’s 17-year trophy drought

He led Spurs to to an abysmal 17th in the Premier League

Official: Tottenham sack Postecoglou

Ange has gone. It’s now been confirmed. Story here…

Updated at 18.06 CEST

Tottenham’s latest tweet appears to be Archie Gray looking into a crystal ball. What did he see? Did he see this coming?

Several bookmakers are offering prices on the next Tottenham manager and Thomas Frank is a clear odds-on favourite when checking the current lists.

Brentford boss Frank is 1/2, with Fulham’s Marco Silva next, some way back at 5/1. Crystal Palace’s Oliver Glasner is around 10/1 although one layer has Michael Carrick at 8/1 after he was let go by Middlesbrough earlier this week.

Reports: Postecoglou sacked by Tottenham

Sky Sports are reporting that Tottenham have sacked manager Ange Postecoglou.

More on this as it unfolds obviously although note that less than a couple of hours ago we reported that Spurs had met with intermediaries to discuss a potential move for Brentford’s Thomas Frank.

Updated at 17.55 CEST

Investigation into breakaway European Super League launched

An agreement UEFA reached with nine clubs who had been part of a breakaway European Super League is being investigated by the Spanish competition authorities.

Twelve clubs – including the Premier League’s ‘Big Six’ announced their intention to form a Super League in April 2021 but the plan had collapsed within 72 hours as all but three announced they were withdrawing.

Those nine – again including the six English teams – reached an agreement with UEFA the following month, committing them to UEFA’s competitions and undertaking to accept fines of 100m euros each if they sought to join an unauthorised competition in the future.

The National Commission on Markets and Competition (CNMC) said on Friday it was looking at that agreement for possible conduct contrary to European competition law, saying it had found “substantial evidence” of a breach.

“The CNMC is investigating a UEFA agreement with nine football clubs to prevent them from organising or participating in European competitions other than their own,” a statement on the CNMC website said.

“The body also reportedly adopted a series of measures to ensure the clubs complied with these restrictions. The agreement was signed after UEFA announced that it could exclude teams from its competitions and/or impose various measures on them.

“After analysing the information gathered during the confidential information phase, (CNMC) identified substantial evidence of potential violations of Articles 1 and 2 of the LDC, as well as Articles 101 and 102 of the TFEU.”

The CNMC said the opening of the case did not prejudge the outcome and that it could take up to two years to resolve the matter. The investigation followed an initial complaint from A22, a company set up to promote the Super League concept.

A spokesperson for A22 said of Friday’s announcement: “This is a sensible and timely action consistent with the December 2023 ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union (“CJEU”) which found that UEFA and FIFA breached European competition law. This ruling confirmed that independent promoters such as A22 are fully entitled to create and organise pan-European club football competitions.”

The UEFA authorisation rules which were used to block the formation of the Super League were found to be contrary to European law by the CJEU, but had already been updated prior to the 2023 verdict.

UEFA said at the time of the CJEU verdict that it had developed its new authorisation rules in consultation with the European Commission. UEFA has been contacted for a response to the CNMC announcement.

(PA Media)

Updated at 17.44 CEST

Championship transfer news. A couple of incomings for two sides who need a lift after disappointing finishes last season – 13th-placed Norwich and 14th-placed Watford.

Goalkeeper Daniel Grimshaw has joined Norwich on three-year deal. The 27-year-old arrives at the Canaries from Plymouth on a contract running until summer 2028 and has previously worked with new boss Liam Manning at Belgian outfit Lommel SK.

Grimshaw began his career at Manchester City and spent three seasons at Blackpool before moving to Plymouth, where he made 21 Championship appearances last season.

Watford have confirmed their third summer signing following the arrival of Marc Bola on a three-year contract. The 27-year-old left-back joins from Turkish team Samsunspor and has had previous stints with Blackpool and Middlesbrough.

(PA Media)

Roma appoint Gasperini

Roma have confirmed the appointment of Gian Piero Gasperini as the club’s new head coach. Gasperini announced his departure from Atalanta last week after nine years at the club. He bowed out by guiding them to third and a Champions League spot – two places above his new club, who will play in the Europa League next season.

Roma’s website says: “Gasperini’s career is defined by its creative tactics, dedication to hard work, and exceptional player development. Both Ownership and Claudio Ranieri believe Gasperini is the right man for the mission. Welcome to the Club Mister! Forza Roma!”

Scotland v Iceland: Some stats to impress family and friends with ahead of tonight’s friendly international.

Scotland have won all six of their previous meetings with Iceland, only holding better 100%-win rates against Cyprus (9) and San Marino (8).

This will be Iceland’s first visit to Hampden Park since a 2-1 defeat in World Cup qualifying in April 2009, with Steven Fletcher and Ross McCormack scoring their first international goals for Scotland.

Scotland have won just one of their last eight home games in all competitions (D3 L4), having won six in a row at Hampden Park prior.

Iceland have lost each of their last three games in all competitions, last losing more consecutively between October 2020 and March 2021 (7 in a row).

Despite losing 3-0 last time out to Greece, Scotland have won three of their last four matches, after winning just one of 16 games prior across all competitions (D5 L10).

Since the start of 2023, Scott McTominay has scored more than double the number of goals any other player has for Scotland (11 – John McGinn, 5). The Serie A MVP has netted in three of his last four national team appearances when facing an opponent for the first time: vs Switzerland, Portugal and Greece.

It’s Tony Yeboah’s birthday today. Happy 59th to the former Leeds star! A video here of his top five goals. I think we know what the top two are but always a pleasure to watch them again.

Northern Ireland: Paddy McNair has been ruled out of the friendlies against Denmark and Iceland with a groin injury. The 30-year-old, capped 75 times, took part in a training camp in Marbella earlier this week but did not travel to Copenhagen for Saturday’s game against Denmark, returning to San Diego FC.

Michael O’Neill was already working with a very young squad – 12 of the now 25 players remaining are aged 21 or under – and McNair’s withdrawal has cost the manager his most experienced player for the final phase of preparations for their World Cup qualifying campaign.

“(Alongside) George (Saville), he’s our most senior player, he’s our most capped player in this group of players,” O’Neill said. “He’s obviously gone into a new chapter in his career as well, going to the MLS. I think he’s in a good place because San Diego have had a great start to their first season in MLS, but I think that the squad has to learn to deal with that.

“I think that whilst we’re young, the players are getting used to playing in these types of games and this is the reason we take these types of games so that they are ready to deal with this level of opposition.”

Northern Ireland have lost just three of their last 13 internationals, a run that started with a 2-0 win over Denmark in Belfast in November 2023 – a few months after a frustrating night in Copenhagen that saw a stoppage-time equaliser ruled out by VAR in a 1-0 defeat.

But they come here on the back of a 5-1 defeat to Sweden in March that handed out some harsh lessons. A game away to Denmark, ranked 21st in the world, has the potential for more but O’Neill said it is important his players face them.

“There’s no point playing teams you will beat all the time,” he said. “You won’t get any better if you do that. The result is always important but this is preparation for September. We talked about the Sweden game and we were very young on the night and the result was a little bit harsh on us but that is what international football can do. It can be harsh on you.”

Trai Hume has been named as captain for both fixtures as O’Neill continues to rotate the armband within a leadership group.

(PA Media)

A quick plug for two other live blogs on a busy day of sport. Choose between tennis or racing. Or just open loads of browsers and follow everything.

An email from Jeremy Boyce, who is dreaming of a somewhat unlikely reunion at Leeds.

“As a Nasty Leeds supporter I was chuffed to see that Jack Harrison has returned to the fold. He was great in Bielsa’s famous team of runners. Will there be a knock on the door from two trilbied dudes in glasses at Portman Road/London Stadium/Etihad (whoever holds his registration these days) for big Kalvin any day now : “Kalvin, we’re getting the band back together.” And from there to Barcelona: “Raph, we’re putting the band.....” We can always dream. Actually Kalvin would jump at that, and it might actually resurrect his stalled career.

Tottenham plot bid for Brentford's Thomas Frank

Tottenham have met with intermediaries to discuss a potential move for Brentford’s Thomas Frank, reports David Hytner. Frank guided the Bees to 10th place last season while Spurs finished 18 points behind Brentford in 17th. But, of course, there was the UEFA Cup win as Ange Postecoglou delivered on his claim that he always wins a trophy in his second season. Spurs would have to pay off Postecoglou, who has two years left on his contract.

Here’s Jonathan Wilson’s latest column on England as Thomas Tuchel’s men continue their World Cup build-up with a qualifier against Andorra in Spain on Saturday evening.

“England now are in a position not unlike that in which they found themselves in 1965. They have a year left before a World Cup for which they will be one of the favourites, and they have a manager who has made clear he is not concerned by such nebulous concepts as developing the culture or blooding players to be ready three or four tournaments down the line. Thomas Tuchel, no less than Ramsey, knows his job is to win.”

Arsenal: An update on the Gunners and Benjamin Šeško. #advancing

David Beckham’s Knighthood: More here for those who like a timeline of how we got to this point.

Ligue 1 season review: Ousmane Dembélé, Luis Enrique and João Neves took PSG to new heights but they were not the only stars in France. Luke Entwistle from Get French Football News reviews the 2024/25 season. Désiré Doué only makes the bench in his team of the season by the way.

Andorra v England: The two nations have squared off six times previously and the aggregate score is 25-0 to England. That suggests a 4.166666 victory for Tuchel’s men on Saturday evening.

Continuing the quiz theme: Harry Kane has scored in his first two matches under Thomas Tuchel and if the striker nets against Andorra – surely a formality if he starts – he’d become the first player to score in each of a new England manager’s first three matches in charge since… ? A clue: he’s tall.

Afternoon quiz. There are some football ones in here. I do like the options for the Thomas Tuchel question.

Thanks Yara. Just reading the story that David Beckham is to be awarded a knighthood in the King’s Birthday Honours. Must be a while since a ‘David’ was knighted. I’m certainly not in contention. According to a quick google, the last one I can see is David Weatherall. Not the big centre-back whose headed winner on the final day against Liverpool once saved Bradford from relegation. No, this guy was a physician and researcher in molecular genetics, haematology, pathology and clinical medicine. He picked up his gong in 2017. And, of course, the football player is Wetherall not Weatherall. What a terrible first entry from me. It’ll get better.

Handover: That is all from me. David Tindall is now here to take you through into the rest of the afternoon.

Andorra v England: And on the men’s side Thomas Tuchel’s men will face Andorra in a World Cup qualifiers match. England are group leaders while Andorra are bottom, having lost their first two matches of qualifiers.

Tuchel will surely be using the international break to get to know his side on the pitch more and make some early decisions about who can make the difference at the 2026 World Cup.

Cole Palmer is keen to be on the plane despite competing positionally with Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden. The Chelsea player said he is willing to play “wherever” to be a part of the XI.

England: Around this time yesterday Sarina Wiegman announced her squad for the Lionesses’ Euro title defence this summer.

Here is what she said on talks of a “crisis” within the camp.

USA: A raft of absences and the nature of the Gold Cup means that, aside from a trophy, the USA’s goals are largely intangible.

The importance of identity and tactical systems probably gets overstated at the national team level, where a dearth of time means that an awful lot of teams play broadly the same way. But the coming month does offer Pochettino a chance to cultivate some of the closeness and feistiness that his best club teams displayed. There is perhaps a larger exploration to be undertaken at some point about the ways in which the improved conditions and job security of the modern American player have undercut the existential belligerence the Yanks used to play with, but, for now, any kind of low-level aggravation will do.

Here is Leander Schaerlaeckens with more.

Liverpool: Arne Slot’s side are closing in on a deal to sign the Hungarian goalkeeper Armin Pecsi from Puskas Akademia, in what would be a record sale for the Nemzeti Bajnokság I (Hungarian top-flight) club. According to Fabrizio Romano the 20-year-old has already agreed to personal terms with Liverpool, with final negotiations between the clubs said to be progressing smoothly.

During the 2024-25 season Pecsi made 36 appearances across all competitions conceding just 43 goals and keeping 11 clean sheets.

Liverpool’s former No 2 goalkeeper Caoimhín Kelleher signed for Brentford earlier in the window for a fee that could rise to £18m. The club have also signed the Georgia international goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili from Valencia.

Manchester United: The club are understood to be confident that they can continue to strengthen their squad this summer after making reductions in the player wage bill and other cost savings.

The club posted a pre-tax loss of £3.1m for the third quarter of the fiscal year in results published today, way down on losses of £83.6m for the same period in the prior year.

Total operating costs were down 20.4% compared to the same quarter last year, driven by a reduction in the wage bill due to United’s involvement in the Europa League instead of the Champions League, plus the January loan exits of the likes of Marcus Rashford and Antony.

The reduction in costs was also attributable to the redundancy programme affecting non-playing staff, which began last year.

The chief executive, Omar Berrada, admitted the club’s 15th-place finish in the Premier League this season was “below our standards” and said there was a “clear expectation of improvement” next season.

Changes in personnel seem certain to be required to achieve that and, while United insiders say the club intend to be disciplined about any investment they make this summer in order to remain compliant with the Premier League’s profitability and sustainability rules (PSR), the reduction in operating costs alongside a 17.4% increase in revenue does give them room for manoeuvre in the transfer market.

The club are close to completing the £62.5m signing of Matheus Cunha from Wolves once his international duty is over and are also understood have a firm interest in Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo, with contact having been initiated with the London club. PA Media

Thanks Barry and hello all! Let’s start with some Manchester United news.

Handover: That’s me done for now but Yara El-Shaboury is here to take up the Heavy Cudgels O’News.

Arsenal: Sky Sports Italia have reported that Arsenal are mulling over the possibilit of triggering Kepa Arrizabalaga’s £5m release clause from Chelsea. The Spanish goalkeeper spent last season on loan at Bournemouth, is not believed to feature in Enzo Maresca’s plans and could move to Arsenal in place of Neto, who spent last season on loan at the Emirates from Bournemouth as understudy to David Raya. Arsenal have also been linked with a move for Espanyol goalkeeper Joan García, who is believed to prefer a move to his club’s bitter city rivals Barcelona.

Updated at 13.53 CEST

Liam Delap: England U-21s head coach Lee Carsley has insisted he is not in the least bit upset by Liam Delap’s decision to miss the Euros in Slovakia in favour of travelling to the Club World Cup with Chelsea, who he signed for this week. The striker was not among those included in Carsley’s squad, which was announced this morning.

“I’m definitely not disappointed,” said Carsley at a press conference at St George’s Park. “I’m delighted for Liam and his family. It’s a brilliant thing for an English centre-forward to play in the Premier League at such a prestigious club like Chelsea. Hopefully, he’ll do really well there and push for the senior team. We’ll move on. We’ve moved on quite quickly.

“We’ve always known that two or three of the players could move to clubs that were playing in the Club World Cup. The Club World Cup hasn’t come out of the blue. We’ve been preparing for this competition for two years, knowing that the Club World Cup was always in the background. It’s not frustrating one bit. I definitely still see the importance of some of our players that will play in that competition. It’s a brilliant thing for them to do.”

Rangers: While the news that Russell Martin is the new manager of Rangers may have prompted more excitement among Celtic fans than those of their city rivals, Patrick Stewart, the chief executive at Ibrox, admits the club hierarchy are “not oblivious to the noise” surrounding the appointment of the former Southampton manager, whose arrival has not been met with universal approval by Rangers supporters.

Stewart revealed Martin was the only person offered the job and believes the Ibrox club have taken a diligent approach to finding a successor to Philippe Clement, who left in February before former captain Barry Ferguson took over until the end of the season.

“Firstly, we’re always very sensitive and aware of supporters’ sentiment on any issue,” he said. “And, yeah, I’m aware that supporters have strong views on who the right person for the role is. So we’ll always factor that in to a degree, but equally, I’ve been talking a lot about process and making sure we’ve got people and experts in that are qualified to make decisions. So we’ve really put our trust in our process, making sure we’ve got right people in to make decisions and with a lot of discipline. We’re not oblivious to the noise at all, not at all.

“But I think, because we conducted such a thorough process to take us to this point where we’ve appointed Russell, we’re confident the supporters will get behind him, particularly when they see him in action.”

Liverpool relaxed despite Luis Díaz comments

Andy Hunter

Luis Diaz’s candid press conference performance in Colombia on Thursday may have caused the usual ripples on social media but it is safe to say Liverpool remain relaxed about his situation and, more importantly, in control of it.

Diaz was subject of an approach from Barcelona on Wednesday – when their sporting director, Deco, was informed the 28-year-old is not for sale – and also has interest from Saudi Pro League club Al-Nassr. The forward has two years remaining on his contract and, despite having no immediate plans to open talks over an extension, Liverpool want to keep him.

Speaking about his future ahead of Colombia’s World Cup qualifier at home to Peru, Diaz admitted holding talks with other clubs. “I’m very happy at Liverpool, I’ve always said so,” he said. “They’ve welcomed me very well from day one. We are currently in contact with Liverpool because we are talking to clubs, and that’s normal given the transfer market that’s opening. We’re trying to arrange what’s best for us.

“I’m waiting to see what happens. If they (Liverpool) offer us a really good renewal, or since I still have the two years left on my contract I will definitely stay there happy and content. It all depends on them.”

Liverpool are prepared to let Diaz see out the final two years of his current deal and leave on a free in 2027 if necessary. It would take a significant offer that would allow the Premier League champions to replace the former Porto winger, or afford an upgrade, to test that stance.

Updated at 13.22 CEST

Newcastle United news: Callum Wilson is in talks with the club over the possibility of getting a new deal when his contract expires this month. Newcastle reserve goalkeeper John Ruddy is in the same boat but Jamal Lewis will leave the club. Lloyd Kelly’s loan at Juventus will become permanent on June 30, meaning the defender will have spent just half a season at Newcastle since signing from Bournemouth on a free transfer 12 months ago. The club hierarchy has recently agreed new contract extensions with Emil Krafth, Fabian Schar, Dan Burn, Jamaal Lascelles, Martin Dubravka and Sean Longstaff.

Angel Gomes: The diminutive English midfielder will be a free agent when his contract with Lille expires this month and reports suggest he has agreed terms to join Marseille after rejecting overtures from Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham.

The 24-year-old from Edmonton in north London has four England caps, all of which were won during Lee Carsley’s time in interim charge of the national team but has yet to feature in any of Thomas Tuchel’s squads.

Ivan Juric: Despite a disastrous five-month spell in charge of Southampton in which he won just one of his 14 Premier League games in charge, Ivan Juric is on the verge of being announced as the new manager of Serie A side Atalanta. The Croatian will replace Gian Piero Gasperini, who is taking over at Roma after nine years in Bergamo.

West Ham: The club have confirmed defender Jean-Clair Todibo will complete a permanent transfer from Nice when his season-long loan deal expires at the end of this month. The France centre-back joined the Hammers last summer on loan with an option to make the transfer permanent for an undisclosed fee.

Todibo, 25, who suffered a mid-season injury, appeared 29 times across all competitions. West Ham have also announced that loanees Carlos Soler (Paris Saint-Germain) and Evan Ferguson (Brighton) will return to their respective parent clubs at the end of their deals.

Andy Hunter

Liverpool fundraiser: Liverpool’s official charity and former players association have donated £50,000 to the Liverpool Spirit Appeal, set up to help those most affected by the appalling incident that followed the parade last week, helping to bring the current fundraising total to over £106,000.

The donation from the LFC Foundation and Forever Reds is from proceeds raised at the recent LFC Foundation Gala Ball, which was attended by Jurgen Klopp. The money will prioritise individuals who experienced physical and psychological injury at the event, and required hospital or medical treatment, and also community organisations who have been offering emotional and mental health support.

New five-year deal for Jones at Charlton

Nathan Jones has signed a new five-year deal with Charlton Athletic two weeks after masterminding their promotion to the Championship through a playoff final win over Leyton Orient at Wembley. The Welsh coach subsequently linked with the vacant manager’s role at Cardiff City but has agreed a new five year deal with Charlton.

“I’m very proud and delighted,” he said. “I still had three years left but for the club to come to me and want to continue that journey meant a lot to me because it’s a club that I love. We’ve just taken one big step, but that’s only one big step, we still have a long way to go to achieve our goals and I’m glad that I’ll continue to work towards that.”

Updated at 12.40 CEST

An email: “Please don’t say you’re one of those people who believe football in Lansdowne Road only started when the stadium was redeveloped,” writes Eoin. “Senegal are not the first African team to visit the ground; I was at the Nigeria game in advance of the 2002 World Cup finals!” Apologies, I stand both corrected and gulled by the Football Association of Ireland website. Let the record show that Senegal will be the first African team to visit Landowne Road since the builders turned it sideways.

As we reported earlier, news broke this morning that Gabriel has signed a new and improved deal with Arsenal which is believed to be for four years. The Brazilian has been talking to the club’s media team. “Arsenal is an amazing club and I’m so proud to sign a new contract,” he said. “I love this club, I love the supporters, my teammates, I love this stadium. I’m so proud and thank you for all the support. We continue together for the future.

“I hope I win some trophies with this club, because I love this club and my family loves the club, too. I arrived here as a young player and after almost five years I’m so happy and I’ve learned a lot. I’m so proud of myself, it’s an amazing journey, and I’m so happy to continue it.”

Updated at 12.39 CEST

Delap left out of Carsley's Euro U-21s squad

England Under-21s: Having just wrapped up his £30m move from Ipswich Town to Chelsea, Liam Delap has been left out of England’s U-21 squad for this month’s European Championships in Slovakia and will travel to the USA with his new club for the Club World Cup instead.

Sunderland midfielder Jobe Bellingham is currently in talks with Borussia Dortmund, who are also participating in the Club World Cup, but has been included in Lee Carsley’s squad, along with Liverpool’s Harvey Elliott and Jarrell Quansah, Manchester City’s James McAtee, Newcastle’s Tino Livramento, Tottenham’s Archie Gray, Arsenal’s Ethan Nwaneri and Birmingham City’s Jay Stansfield.

England’s campaign gets under way with a match against the Czech Republic next Thursday, followed by group games against Slovenia and Germany.

Goalkeepers: James Beadle (Brighton and Hove Albion), Teddy Sharman-Lowe (Chelsea), Tommy Simkin (Stoke City)

Defenders: Charlie Cresswell (FC Toulouse), Ronnie Edwards (Southampton), CJ Egan-Riley (Burnley), Tino Livramento (Newcastle United), Brooke Norton Cuffy (Genoa), Jarell Quansah (Liverpool)

Midfielders: Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest), Jobe Bellingham (Sunderland), Archie Gray (Tottenham Hotspur), Hayden Hackney (Middlesbrough), Jack Hinshelwood (Brighton and Hove Albion), Tyler Morton (Liverpool), Alex Scott (AFC Bournemouth)

Forwards: Harvey Elliott (Liverpool), Omari Hutchinson (Ipswich Town), Sam Iling Jnr (Aston Villa), James McAtee (Manchester City), Ethan Nwaneri (Arsenal), Jonathan Rowe (Marseille), Jay Stansfield (Birmingham City)

Updated at 13.30 CEST

Jordan and Uzbekistan secure World Cup qualification

Asian World Cup qualifiers: Jordan and Uzbekistan have secured qualification at the World Cup finals for the very first time, while South Korea also booked their place in the tournament for the 11th time on the bounce. The three teams join Argentina, New Zealand, Iran and Japan in qualifying for World Cup 2026, while the USA, Canada and Mexico qualify automatically as co-hosts.

Uzbekistan, who count Manchester City defender Abdukodir Khusanov among their number, booked their place courtesy of a scoreless draw with the United Arab Emirates in Abu Dhabi, while a 3-0 win over Oman was enough to secure Jordan’s place at the tournament. South Korea beat Iraq 2-0 to win their place in the Fifa tombola.

Updated at 11.58 CEST

South American World Cup qualifiers: Carlo Ancelotti’s first match in charge of Brazil ended scoreless as his new team were held by Ecuador at the Estadio Monumental. The stalemate means Ecuador stay second in the South American World Cup qualifying table, 10 points behind the already-qualified Argentina. Brazil are fourth, a further two points back and seven points above the play-off spot with just three games remaining.

“I was on the bench for more than 1,800 matches and this one was special,” said Ancelotti after the game. “I think I can make an assessment of this first period; I was happy with the reception. I feel delighted to work with the CBF [Brazilian Football Confederation] and, for me, it is a gift to be here. It was a very good match defensively.

“I saw the team playing better with the ball, with a slightly more fluid game. It was a good draw and we left satisfied, with confidence for the next game. We have very good quality players. There is not much time to work, but there is the possibility of improvement because we have quality. I am sure that we will improve in attack. Today we were missing an important player in Raphinha [who was suspended]. We have to play a game with more rhythm, mobility and intensity. I believe we will do that at our home ground.”

Elsewhere in South America, Marcelo Bielsa’s Uruguay lost 2-0 away to Paraguay and drop one place and one point below Brazil in the table. Paraguay are third and level on points with Ecuador. Brazil host Paraguay on Wednesday.

Updated at 12.39 CEST

Republic of Ireland v Senegal: Pape Matar Sarr, Idrissa Gueye, Ismaila Sarr and Nicolas Jackson will be among the familiar faces at the Aviva Stadium tonight when Senegal become the first African side to play the Republic of Ireland at the ground. The match is Ireland’s final home game before they start their World Cup qualifying campiagn against Hungary in September and Ireland’s Icelandic coach Heimir Halgrimsson is hoping to use this friendly and next week’s match against Luxembourg to build on recent back-to-back successes against Bulgaria in the Nations League. The Lions of Taranga are on a run of 22 games unbeaten and will follow up tonight’s fixture with a friendly against England at the City Ground on Tuesday.

“They are a massive team, first goal is important and that’s another aspect of the game when we play them, and individual qualities, similar to Portugal, all players can hurt you so one-v-ones will be massively important,” said Halgrimsson when asked for his thoughts on tonight’s opponents.

“Everything happens a little bit quicker, when we need to defend and that’s a good step, if we are ready for that, it’s a good preparation for Hungary and Portugal. The preparation is mixed with what is going to happen in September. We started the camp by talking about what is coming up, and why it is important to play games like Senegal and what can we take from these games to transfer to the games in September. It is important that we have more than 11 players ready to play and knowing everything about how we want to play.”

Gabriel agrees new long-term deal with Arsenal

Arsenal’s Brazilian defender Gabriel Magalhaes has committed his future to the club by agreeing a new long-term contract. The 27-year-old had two years to run on his current deal and his contract extension will be viewed a major boost for the Gunners ahead of what is due to be a pivotal summer in the transfer market. Gabriel played 42 matches for Arsenal last season before a hamstring tear sustained in his side’s 2-1 win over Fulham on April 1 required surgery and brought his campaign to a premature end.

Arsenal announced earlier this week that midfielder Jorginho and defender Kieran Tierney will officially leave the club when their deals expire at the end of the month.

Jorginho is due to sign for the Brazilian side Flamengo, while Tierney is returning to Celtic, his boyhood club. The contract of midfielder Thomas Partey is also due to expire but talks over an extension are ongoing.

Updated at 10.58 CEST

Scotland v Iceland: Hampden Park is the venue for Scotland’s first match since being relegated to the second tier of the Nations League after losing 3-0 against Greece in March. In yesterday’s pre-match press conference, much of the talk centred around the Italian adventures of Scott McTominay, Billy Gilmour and Lewis Ferguson, who between them bagged two Serie A winners’ medals and hoisted the Coppa Italia. Ewan Murray reports …

Updated at 10.48 CEST

The Rumour Mill: Yara El-Shaboury is here with your daily dose of tittle-tattle and tell-all that includes talk of a potential Arsenal move for Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers, the latest news of the chase to secure the services of Sporting striker Viktor Gyökeres, and much, much more.

World Cup qualifying: Wales host Liechtenstein at the Cardiff City Stadium tonight, with Craig Bellamy’s side second in Group J behind North Macedonia on goal difference having played two games. It’s worth noting that Belgium are also in Group J but have yet to play to a game; Rudi Garcia’s side travel to North Macedonia this evening before hosting Wales in a crunch match on Monday.

Bellamy took as many of his players as were available on a nine-day training camp split between Cardiff and Alicante last month to keep those from the English Football League ticking over after their season had ended and has said he will not be taking his team’s game against the minnows of Liechtenstein in any way lightly.

“I honestly believe if you disrespect the game, it will catch you out,” he told reporters. “The same messages have been fed to the players as well. We have to be us. Fight for every ball. Recovery runs. Reactions. We have to be consistent no matter who we’re playing against. The top teams are the ones that are consistent.”

On the flip side, it could be argued that the bottom sides are also consistent – Liechtenstein have only won one of their past 46 games and despite what Bellamy says, anything other than an emphatic win for Wales tonight would constitute a seismic shock. There, I’ve jinxed them.

Women’s Euro 2025: A glitzy, celeb-speckled Euro squad launch helped the feelgood factor around England’s Lionesses a month ahead of this summer’s Euros but there are still questions over squad harmony, strength in depth and player welfare. Words: Suzanne Wrack.

Spain 5-4 France

Nations League semi-final: Down 5-1 after 67 minutes at the Stuttgart Arena, France scored three goals to reduce their deficit but it was Spain who advanced to Sunday’s final against Portugal. Sid Lowe reports …

Preamble

The season may be over but the Big Wheel O’Football keeps on turning. And how! Last night, Spain and France served up a delightful goalfest that wasn’t nearly as tight as the 5-4 scoreline suggests in their Nations League semi-final, with Lamine Yamal putting on another masterclass as he and his chums survived a late French comeback to book their place against Portugal in Sunday’s all-Iberian final.

There’s plenty more international action to look forward to over the coming weekend, with all four of the home nations and the Republic of Ireland due to play assorted World Cup qualifiers and friendlies. We’re here to bring you build-up to those games, transfer news and any other stories of note that break throughout the day, so don’t dare touch that dial please stay tuned, but only if you want to.

The Guardian

Tottenham’s Pedro Porro: ‘We won. Let them talk and do all the memes they want now’

Submitted by daniel on Tue, 03/06/2025 - 10:17

Pedro Porro had to take a pee. “I wouldn’t wish it on anyone,” the Tottenham Hotspur defender says and then he laughs, which he does a lot. It was late in Bilbao and in the home dressing room at San Mamés, up the tunnel and to the right, players divided by metal bars, the party had begun. But he had been selected for the drugs test and was stuck in a much smaller and much, much quieter room, drinking as much possible as quickly as possible until he could go. And that, he says, took ages. “It was hard for me. You’ve just won something huge, you have all your family there, all your teammates, all the people and … ”

And the party would have to wait. Porro missed those moments but at last they did all come together, the Europa League champions in their kit – “clean,” Porro adds swiftly – and winners’ medals round their necks, families joining them dancing downstairs at the Carlton Hotel, a mile east of the stadium where they won the tournament. Around 3am, someone turned the main lights on, so someone else turned them off again; some didn’t stop until they reached Tottenham High Road the next day, although he wasn’t one of them. “We wanted to carry on a bit, that’s normal,” Porro says, “although I had to go because my little daughter was tired. It had been a long, hard year and it was lovely to celebrate together.”

A long hard year? How about 17 of them? Or more. Even sitting here in the sunshine at Spain’s Las Rozas training camp, focus now turned instead to the Nations League semi-final against France on Thursday evening, Porro admits they still haven’t quite assimilated what they have done, despite the congratulations with which he has been met upon arrival – along with Fabián Ruiz and Marc Cucurella, he is one of only three members of the squad to have won a European title this season – and despite seeing it for himself. He had imagined the scenes, he says, but not quite like what he witnessed in N17.

“It’s more than 40 years since a European trophy. People’s reaction was lovely. When you get on the bus and go round London, you get a feel for how important it is. You change families’ lives. They had suffered. We had suffered too inside, day by day.” It’s not just that Spurs’ season had been mostly awful, or that they hadn’t won for almost two decades; it was that they had become a kind of running joke. “A meme”, in Porro’s words. “That’s just, like, people’s opinion. Of course that reaches you, but we don’t care … actually, in fact, I would say thanks to them because it can be extra motivation, petrol to fuel you. And we won. Let them talk and do all the memes they want now.”

There may be no meme, no trope, quite like the old favourite. Lads, it’s Tottenham. Porro laughs; oh he heard that one, all right. And? “And it was used. The coach said: yes, we’re Tottenham. We have to believe we’re a big team. Now people have to respect Tottenham a bit more because they’re Europa League champions. The season had been really bad in the Premier League and winning a European title brought such happiness. The fans had suffered, we had suffered too. But it’s not how it starts, it’s how it ends.” So much for Spursy.

There is always vindication in victory. For Porro, for the club, and of course for the coach. Yet that is no guarantee that Ange Postecoglou will continue, his future uncertain, the axe still hovering over his head however much of hero he became in Bilbao, even if those familiar old lines were replaced by the one about always winning in his second season, a vow now fulfilled. If at first this is something that the full-back would rather not be drawn into, his position is clear.

“I’m not thinking about club football right now because I am here with Spain and we have two important games this week,” he says, “but him continuing would be good for the dressing room. He has built a very good group and coaches also need time. In the league things didn’t go well but he makes you win a trophy. That’s important too. The people in the dressing room with weight have to understand that. But as I say I’m thinking about the national team now; there will be time for that.”

Hang on, do you mean there are some players who don’t understand that? “No, it’s simply just that ... we’re inside and we know more or less how things are, no? I’m not going to lie, it did impact me to see [people say] they were going to sack him to be honest. I’m very close to him. He’s been an important coach for me and it’s thanks to him that I have brought out my [best] football these two years. It’s complicated because in football in general things don’t always depend on you but, honestly, in the team – I think, in my opinion – we’re happy with him.”

Yet a trophy is one thing; the daily reality another, and the doubt lingers over whether silverware should eclipse all else. On some simple level, it’s almost baffling. How do you explain the difference between domestic form and European success? How can the worst season in decades end up being the best, a team that lost 22 times in the Premier League lifting a trophy at last? “It’s football,” Porro says, smiling. And supporters deserved something good at the end of all the bad, the suffering, he suggests, almost as if fate repaid them. But there is something else: priority, environment, a shift.

“The coach wanted to compete in both competitions because he’s a winner,” Porro says. “[But] when you have a clear idea that you can do something big, you focus more on one thing than another. We knew that through the Premier League it was impossible to reach Europe and that the only option, the only objective, was to win the Europa League. In the Europa League, different demands are made of you. You have focus on pressing better, defending better. You saw it: three clean sheets in the last three games. Don’t let in goals, and we have dynamite up front. We said if we kept a clean sheet we had a good chance.”

That doesn’t sound like Angeball, Postecoglou altering his approach; this was a success that was countercultural, the principles the coach spoke about laid aside, pragmatism allowed in, especially from January. “Well,” Porro says. “Look, it’s like the final. I say to everyone: people can tell the story of that game any way they like; what matters in the end is that you win it. People say, we didn’t have a shot on goal … what does it matter? Football is like that. Sometimes you have 50 shots on goal and you don’t score any, and others one is enough.” He laughs. “That’s called effectiveness.”

It brought a Champions League place, even if Arsène Wenger, the former Arsenal manager whose rivalry with Manchester United was fierce, suggested before the final that it should not have done. Both teams had been too bad to be handed such rich reward, the 15th or 17th best teams in England permitted to play alongside the continent’s elite. “That rule has been there for years, it’s not news,” Porro says, shrugging. “We have to concentrate on ourselves, not what old coaches say … even what old coaches of our own say.”

That’ll be Tim Sherwood, then? When Porro made his debut, a 4-1 defeat at Leicester in February 2023, the former Spurs coach described him as “so bad it’s unbelievable”. A smile flashes across the Spaniard’s face, that fuel there again. “You can ask him from me what he thinks now,” Porro says, laughing. “People can think what they want. I’ve got no problem with him or anyone. It’s normal. It’s his opinion. Lots of people have an opinion: if you’re good, if you’re bad.

“In truth, it does affect you, of course. It’s normal. You’re new, you have only been in the team a week, it was my first game. But it’s football. And football is capricious. A year later I went back to Leicester and scored the first goal of the season. Football is like that. That toughens you. And as I have said before: thanks very much for having a go at me because that makes me strong too. It’s true that at first it hurts because you think: ‘Bloody hell, let me breathe.’ But that’s normal: it’s the pressure that comes with football. They’ve paid £50m for you. And I have always had that mentality to change people’s opinions.”

To change himself too. Porro eloquently discusses the shifts between full-back and wing-back, for example: when to move, when to wait, when to step out, when to hold. There is, though, a twinkle of mischief when he admits that it’s still the “offensive weapons” that set him apart, even if that spirit may also be what balances him on knife-edge. There’s the warrior in him too. Above all, he describes it as a “mental change”. Opportunity counts and can’t always be controlled. “You have to be hard, self-critical. If someone says something like that, it’s because you have to change. You grow. It’s a process.”

It has been played out here too, with the selección. Two years passed between Porro’s first Spain game and his second. Nineteenth months passed between his second and third. In the meantime, he missed Euro 2024; his absence was possibly the one big surprise in the squad. Now though, still only 25, he has played five of their last six. He is likely to start against France in the Nations League semi-final.

“Look, I’m not going to lie: it hurt [to miss the Euros] because it came off the back of a very good year,” Porro says. “But, well, football is like that. I had two legends in front of me – Dani Carvajal and Jesús Navas – so it’s understandable. They both have their trajectories. It’s like what happened with Rodri and Sergio Busquets: until your moment comes [you have to wait]. There’s no need to even talk to Luis [de la Fuente, the Spain coach]: I know that if that’s what he decided that was what he thought was best for the team. We have known each other for a long time and he doesn’t have to explain anything to me. He had his two players and that’s that. What matters is that we won the Euros.

“I wouldn’t say I feel like a fixture now but I do feel more confident every day. Continuity and confidence is very important, you let go. If you play a game every year it’s not the same: you come with the pressure to prove yourself. But Luis has always trusted me. And now we have a semi-final against a very competitive team. Their wingers are very fast, but then almost all the wingers in the Premier League are fast and strong. France have great players but so do we. We have our weapons too. Then there’s the final. I played more minutes than anyone this year which is important to me. It’s been a big season and hopefully we can put the icing on the cake on Sunday. It’s a Nations League, a trophy. And whenever you play for a trophy, it matters.”

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