A new interim era begins at Spurs after Thomas Frank’s sacking
Long road ahead: Johan Lange
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Tottenham sporting director Johan Lange says he accepts his responsibility for Tottenham’s poor season and opened up on how the leadership structure at the club actually works — as well as revealing the club’s wage bill must increase.
Lange sat down with newspaper journalists on Friday for his first interview with the written press in England since an exclusive interview with Standard Sport in October 2024.
It has been an intense few weeks at Tottenham, where Thomas Frank’s sacking with the club 16th in the Premier League has been followed by the swift appointment of Igor Tudor as interim head coach until the summer. There was no plan B in place at Spurs, where Frank’s disastrous eight-month reign has left the club shot of confidence, languishing five points above the drop zone, and with a raft of injuries to contend with.
“The role of the sporting director on the continent is a little bit different than it is here,” Lange said.
“But, of course, it's a role that is evolving more and more, gets more and more responsibilities. That is why also I believe that it's important that we, as sporting directors, take the opportunity to communicate more directly to the fans [through the media].”
Lange joined Tottenham in October 2023 initially as a technical director but has since been promoted to sporting director, where he says: “I report to Vinai [Venkatesham, Spurs’ chief executive] and Vinai reports to the board. That is the chain of command. I speak with Vinai several times a day.”
New boss: Igor Tudor
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Tottenham have a much lower wage bill than other top clubs and that is believed to have held them back when trying to compete at the top table over the past decade and longer.
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Lange said: “I think Vinai in his notes earlier this year made it known in the matchday programme that we, as a club, need to grow our wage bill to be competitive.
“We were also linked [with players], and it was definitely not because of a lack of efforts from our side that those players are not here today.”
The Dane said “a few candidates” were interviewed for the interim role besides Tudor, who “impressed us very, very much in the interview”.
“With his reputation and what he’s done in his career, of course, if things go well, he could be here for a long time,” Lange continued.
Lange insisted it was not “relevant” whether Fabio Paratici used his connection with Tudor to hire him before leaving as sporting director to join Fiorentina last month.
“I think the rest of the season is to get as high as possible in the Premier League table and be super competitive in the Champions League,” he said. “We know that we need to get higher in the table.”
Style of play remains high up the club’s list of priorities for the summer’s permanent appointment, he emphasised. “We [aim] to create a team that can play dominant football and that can control the matches with the ball. That is how the top teams normally are successful.
“We are also a club with a rich history of having some of the best offensive players in the world and having a very particular style of play that resonates. Of course, that is something that is important for us here.”
Ex-Spurs head coach Ange Postecoglou said in a recent interview that he had wanted Antoine Semenyo and others in the summer of 2024, but the club had not signed them. Lange defended the club’s efforts, heavily suggesting Semenyo had rejected a move. In January, he signed for Manchester City from Bournemouth for £65million.
“Of course, actions is the only thing [that matters]. But when you are in any transaction, it does take three parties. It takes a player to agree and we are not in control if a player makes a career choice to join another club, then that is unfortunately outside our control.”
Lange insists the immediate turnaround of results is the current priority, not Tudor’s long-term future, and he refused to be drawn on the suggestion Mauricio Pochettino could be poised for a romantic return to the club in the summer.
“It’s a good question,” he said when asked why an injury-ravaged Spurs did not make more signings in January. “I think 10 per cent of all transfers happen in January and 90 per cent happen in the summer.
“What is very important to say is that on the one hand, we have a short squad and on the other hand, we also had players who could not be registered for European competitions — because we have too many players.
“It is without a doubt, especially during the month of January, that we had too many injuries. Every time we played we lost players. It’s something we are constantly reviewing with the greatest level of seriousness.”
Suspended: Cristian Romero
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Lange, who is on a standard employment contract with no set end date, added: “I, of course, accept my responsibility at all times. But every decision that I make and we have made has been in the best interests of the club.
Captain Cristian Romero came in for widespread criticism for twice speaking out against the club on social media this season, most recently labelling Spurs’ squad depth as “disgraceful”.
He serves the second of four matches suspended in Sunday’s north London derby following his second Premier League red card of the season. But Lange would not discuss the Argentine’s disciplinary issues and what he made of it.
“Romero is here, he is our captain,” he said. “He is here on a long-term contract with the club and that is my comment.
“I think we have been clear as a club that we have dealt with that internally and now it is about being together, all of us and finish the season here in the best possible way in the league and in Europe as well.”
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