Football London

Tottenham were to get their own taste of final heartache on Wednesday evening three months on from their European triumph. On course to add the UEFA Super Cup to their trophy cabinet after winning the Europa League final back in May, PSG ensured that was not to be the case after dealing Spurs the cruellest of blows deep into stoppage time.

Two goals to the good after Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero netted either side of half-time, PSG really put Thomas Frank's men under intense pressure late on following some positive substitutions and it resulted in Lee Kang-in finding the bottom corner in the 85th minute with a clean strike. Four minutes into the allotted six minutes of stoppage time and it was 2-2 after Goncalo Ramos headed home Ousmane Dembele's wicked delivery.

It was the French side who prevailed on penalties as Nuno Mendes emphatically scored the winner after misses from Van de Ven and Mathys Tel. Despite the late setback and seeing a trophy snatched from their grasp, Frank can take plenty of positives from his side's performance.

Tottenham were very impressive for 85 minutes of the contest with the team causing the Parisians a host of issues. A number of players delivered big performances, including Pape Matar Sarr.

The Senegalese ace was utilised in the No.10 role and he offered plenty of support to Mohammed Kudus and Richarlison in the final third. In the absence of James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski due to injury, Sarr looks set to have more of an attacking role in the weeks ahead and his performance highlighted that he will be a major player under Frank.

A standout performer during Ange Postecoglou's first season as Spurs boss, the youngster's levels fluctuated at times last term but he did swing in the all-important delivery that Brennan Johnson scored to win the Europa League. Sarr has immediately caught Frank's eye since his arrival at the club and he was lauded by the Dane after his standout showing against Arsenal in pre-season.

"It was great. I know he won player of the match and, for me, he was player of the match," he said after Sarr's goal sealed a 1-0 win in Hong Kong. "He took it (the goal) so well and so quickly, saw David Raya was too far out of his goal and put it away.

“By the way, I think Pape has been amazing. I really like how he has played and performed in the last four weeks, training and in games. He’s building, and his all-round game today... top.”

There is still so much more to come from the 22-year-old and Frank's history of extracting the very best out of his players bodes well for everyone. Sarr once again delivered another impressive display as he brought plenty of energy to the team and supported at the back when required.

The player didn't look too happy to be replaced in the closing minutes of the contest and his exit did have an impact on the Tottenham team as PSG got their equaliser to take the game to penalties. Tottenham also missed Joao Palhinha when he came off in the 72nd minute in place of Archie Gray.

The Portuguese international is such an influential player in the middle of the park due to his ability to win tackles, break up play and get the ball moving forward. Palhinha was outstanding during his time at Fulham and he may well prove to be Tottenham's most important signing of the summer when we take a look back at the 2025/26 season come May.

Palhinha was very close to marking his first competitive Tottenham appearance with a debut goal seconds before Van de Ven stroked the ball home after the midfielder's effort was tipped on to the crossbar by Lucas Chevalier. His absence was felt following his substitution and many Spurs fans have pointed to the decision to replace the midfielder, Kudus and Richarlison as a pivotal moment in the contest.

Palhinha was not too keen on taking his place in the dugout following his substitution as the TV cameras at Stadio Friuli in Udine picked up on him a number of times standing at the side of the technical area shouting instructions and telling his teammates to calm down. It was a clear sign of his leadership qualities and his experience as he tried to get his teammates over the line.

Having seemed to have been stood in the technical area for what seemed a very long time when he should not have been there, he was eventually told off by the fourth official who clearly wanted him to retreat back to the substitutes' bench. Palhinha is going to be huge for Tottenham this season and the same goes for Sarr.

Both were extremely impressive performers against PSG and it could well be a sign of things to come between now and May.

Son Heung-min posted a classy message on Instagram moments after Tottenham were beaten by PSG in the UEFA Super Cup final.

Thomas Frank's side took the lead in Stadio Friuli, Udine thanks to Micky van de Ven blasting home from close range in the first half. Cristian Romero doubled Spurs' advantage early in the second half with a sublime header from a Pedro Porro free kick.

It was a superb performance from the Lilywhites against the Champions League holders and, in truth, PSG were kept at bay for most of the match. That changed in the closing stages, however, as the French champions got one back with five minutes of normal time remaining through Lee Kang-in. Goncalo Ramos then sent the tie to penalties with a well taken header in stoppage time. With Van de Ven and Mathys Tel missing their penalties in the shootout, Nuno Mendes scored the decisive spot kick to secure Luis Enrique's side the win.

Son completed a move to LAFC last week in a deal worth more than £20million, which is an MLS record. Despite that, the former Spurs captain took to Instagram on Wednesday night to send his former club a message of support.

Son wrote: "So proud of you team! Good time will come very soon no time to be disappointed let's be positive and move to next one big season ahead, still thinking of you Spurs family [white heart emoji] COYS."

With attention now turning to the Premier League and more specifically Burnley at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday, Frank was pleased with what he saw against PSG and the hope will be that his side can take that performance into the 2025/26 season.

The former Brentford boss told the media: "I absolutely agree, very, very proud of the players, the team, the club, the fans. I think the players gave everything, playing against one of the best team in the world, maybe the best, at the moment, and I think we were 75, 80 minutes perfect, almost giving nothing away against, they had four players with unbelievable individual quality on the pitch. So very, very proud of them."

He added: "I think every game matters. I think if you look on the face of the players and all of us, we are hugely disappointed and I have my rule for 24 hours. I can be disappointed for 24 hours. We want to compete in a lot of different tournaments and if you want to do that, you need to be ready to do a quick turnaround and go again. I’ll make sure the players are ready and come flying out on Saturday."

Thomas Frank spoke to reporters after Tottenham fell to a penalty shoot-out defeat to PSG in the UEFA Super Cup on Wednesday evening in Udine.

Spurs gave everything against the Champions League winners and Club World Cup finalists and started the game strongly. They struck in the 39th minute when a deep Guglielmo Vicario free-kick caused problems in the box after new captain Cristian Romero headed it across. Joao Palhinha had his shot tipped on to the crossbar and Micky van de Ven was there to fire home the loose ball.

The north London side doubled their lead just a couple of minutes after the interval. The unmarked Romero sent a thumping header from Pedro Porro's deep free-kick towards the far post and new PSG goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier could only get fingertips on it as it went into the far corner of the net.

The French side struck a goal back in the final five minutes. Lee Kang-in smashed a low drive from outside the box into the bottom right corner of the net. Then they found a leveller in the 90th minute when Goncalo Ramos headed home from a low cross from Ousmane Dembele.

At 2-2, after normal time was up, the game went to penalties and although Dominic Solanke, Rodrigo Bentancur and Porro scored, Micky van de Ven saw his spot kick saved and Mathys Tel sent his wide, leaving Nuno Mendes to fire home to win the shoot-out 4-3 for PSG.

Our Tottenham reporter Alasdair Gold was among those putting the questions to Frank after the game. Here's the full transcript from the press conference in Udine.

You must be proud of your players for carrying out your plan for 80-85 minutes but then just running out of steam?

I absolutely agree, very, very proud of the players, the team, the club, the fans. I think the players gave everything, playing against one of the best team in the world, maybe the best, at the moment, and I think we were 75, 80 minutes perfect, almost giving nothing away against, they had four players with unbelievable individual quality on the pitch. So very, very proud of them.

When did you decide to use that 3-5-2 system and what specifically did you work on to help the players adapt to it?

Probably decided that the day after Bayern. I knew we had to do something a little bit different against PSG. It was a special operation. In medical terms, the operation succeeded but the patient died. So not that good in the end. But we worked on a gameplan that was a little bit different and (it was) very close to succeeding.

With penalties, it's all about small margins isn't it?

I agree, it’s down to the smallest of margins in the penalty shootout. It’s like the flip of a coin. First I’d like to thank all the players that stood up and were brave and took responsibility to take a penalty.

Why didn't Brennan Johnson come on, was he injured?

No no, not injured. Just decided to play with two strikers, different types. He could have come on instead of Mathys Tel of course, but just different.

What went wrong in those last ten minutes?

I wish I knew. I think sometimes football is the smallest of margins. They kept pushing, made some subs that put us under pressure at times. But it’s a shot from the edge of the box - before that we didn’t concede really any big chances. I think there was one save from Vic where he needed to save it. Then the momentum built and they scored - of course they had some crosses, some situations, and we need to dig deep. But it’s basically the next chance, it’s not like they have three chances before this goal. Small margins, small margins.

Did this show you can compete with PSG but need a stronger squad to do it for 90 minutes?

I think if you play 2-2 against PSG you take that. I think that single result is good. Then you have a penalty shootout that we lost - maybe we need to work on penalties. Maybe that’s the thing to win a final. I think if everyone said this would be a draw and we’d do some penalties, everyone would think ‘oh that’s quite impressive’. Then if you look into the performance we actually put in and the shift we put in - wow, wow, what a mentality throughout the game. A lot of things to be happy with.

With that 70, 80 minutes so early in your tenure, that kind of running, intensity and effort, and also execution, is that the standard now that those players have got to keep?

Hopefully, the intensity and aggressivity, in the pressure and in the defending and the foundation and a mentality to run hard, that needs to be the foundation every single time, and sometimes you succeed very well, other times we need to do a little bit better and I think that was good.

I think another thing that was very positive was the set pieces. Obviously we knew that was an area where we can hurt PSG and we worked very hard on it. So a big credit to the players and almost gave us a win.

Could you expand on the details that you did like in the first 60 minutes and if that is what we should expect from your team?

I think one thing is, as I said, it was a little bit of special operation because it clearly went in spells a little bit more direct, because we knew that we could hurt them there. Big, big focus on the set pieces, from all areas of the pitch, but we will have focus on set pieces no matter what.

I think the high pressure is a non-negotiable when we went man for man, all over the pitch in quite a few good times. So those bits that will be a standard.

There was a chance for you to win your first European trophy as a coach but some say this game doesn't matter?

I think every game matters. I think if you look on the face of the players and all of us, we are hugely disappointed and I have my rule for 24 hours. I can be disappointed for 24 hours. We want to compete in a lot of different tournaments and if you want to do that, you need to be ready to do a quick turnaround and go again. I’ll make sure the players are ready and come flying out on Saturday.

Thomas Frank is speaking to the media after Tottenham fell to a penalty shoot-out defeat to PSG in the UEFA Super Cup on Wednesday evening in Udine.

Spurs took on the Champions League winners and Club World Cup finalists with head coach Thomas Frank utilising a back three for the first time in order to try to counter PSG's attacking quality. That meant a start for Kevin Danso alongside Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven.

Tottenham started the game strong from the off, pressing high up the pitch and they struck in the 39th minute. Mohammed Kudus did well before being fouled and a deep Guglielmo Vicario free-kick caused problems in the box after new captain Cristian Romero headed it across. Joao Palhinha had his shot tipped on to the crossbar and Micky van de Ven was there to send home the loose ball.

The north London side doubled their lead just a couple of minutes after the break. The unmarked Romero sent a thumping header from Pedro Porro's deep free-kick towards the far post and new PSG goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier could only get fingertips on it as it went into the far corner of the net.

The Paris side struck a goal back in the final five minutes. Lee Kang-in hit a low drive from outside the box into the bottom right corner of the net. They found a leveller in the 90th minute when Goncalo Ramos headed home from a low cross.

At 2-2, that meant the game went to penalties and although Dominic Solanke, Rodrigo Bentancur and Porro scored, Micky van de Ven saw his spot kick saved and Mathys Tel hit his wide, leaving Nuno Mendes to fire home to win the shoot-out 4-3 for PSG.

Our Tottenham reporter Alasdair Gold is among those putting the questions to Frank after the game. Scroll down for his live updates from the press conference in Udine.

Thomas Frank and his Tottenham team suffered UEFA Super Cup final heartache after a 4-3 penalty shootout defeat against PSG following a 2-2 draw in normal time. Spurs went agonisingly close to winning a second piece of silverware in the space of three months but their French opponents staged a late fightback before eventually prevailing on penalties.

Not many gave Spurs a chance heading into the final considering PSG's outstanding form last season but Frank's men were to cause their opponents some real problems. Richarlison went close to the opening goal midway through the first half as his shot from distance was tipped over by Lucas Chevalier.

The Lilywhites were to get the goal their performance deserved on 39 minutes as Micky van de Ven was on hand to convert from close range after the PSG shot-stopper had tipped Joao Palhinha's effort against the crossbar. It was almost 2-0 on the cusp of half-time as Mohammed Kudus reacted quickest to a Richarlison header but his own headed attempt hit the base of the post.

Tottenham were to get their second goal minutes after the restart as the unmarked Cristian Romero headed into the far corner of Chevalier's goal after Pedro Porro had whipped in a fantastic free-kick. PSG did up the pressure on Spurs in the closing stages of the game and pulled one back in the 85th minute as Lee Kang-in arrowed the ball into the bottom corner of Guglielmo Vicario's goal.

There was to be a killer blow for Spurs in stoppage time as Goncalo Ramos expertly headed home Ousmane Dembele's cross to send the game to a penalty shootout. It was Nuno Mendes who scored the crucial spot kick to win 4-3 after Van de Ven and Mathys Tel had missed for Tottenham.

Here are five things we spotted during the game at Stadio Friuli in Udine, Italy.

Flexible Frank

Frank switched things up in terms of his Tottenham formation to take on PSG. Using a 4-2-3-1 setup in pre-season, just as he did at Brentford last term, the Dane showed his tactical flexibility by opting for a back three against the Champions League holders.

Centre-back Kevin Danso came in to start alongside Romero and Van de Ven, with Porro and Djed Spence utilised as wing-backs. Richarlison started up front and he had support from Kudus and Pape Matar Sarr behind him.

Frank displayed during his time at Brentford that he is willing to use a number of formations to ensure his team gets results. That now looks to be the case at Tottenham with just one set formation clearly a thing of the past.

His tactical decisions certainly worked in Udine as his team caused PSG lots of issues before they eventually ran out of steam.

Solanke wait

Tottenham were given a boost on the eve of the Super Cup final with Dominic Solanke in a position to return to the matchday squad. Featuring in the team's opening friendly of the summer away at Reading, the striker was unable to feature in Tottenham's following games due to an ankle injury.

Amid question marks over an exact return date for Solanke, Frank confirmed that he would be in the playing squad for Wednesday's game in Udine. A huge boost for Tottenham. the ex-Liverpool man was named on the bench as Richarlison got the nod to lead the line.

Frank's decision was not that much of a surprise as his striker had missed valuable match minutes over the summer to build up his fitness. Solanke will be hoping he is in a position to potentially start against Burnley in their Premier League opener on Saturday but Richarlison more than made his case for another start with a very good display.

A new weapon

Some eagle-eyed Tottenham fans got an insight into the team's training schedule last month following a Destiny Udogie social media post. In a video from within the Tottenham dressing room at Hotspur Way, a timetable for the day flashed up on a screen on the wall and many noted that long throw auditions were on the agenda.

It was something Frank used at Brentford to great effect and it was clearly something he wanted to test at Tottenham to give his team a new attacking threat. Many tipped Danso to win the audition given how powerful he is and it didn't come as that much of a surprise when the Austrian lined up to take a long throw in the opening minutes of the PSG Super Cup final.

Danso certainly can launch a ball into a dangerous area in the box and it is something that Tottenham could thrive from this season providing of course that he is in the team.

Set-piece success

One of the notable features of Frank's Brentford team was their ability to score from set-pieces. The Dane may have only been with his Tottenham players since the start of July but his work on the training pitch alongside his coaching staff is already paying off.

The first competitive goal of the Frank Tottenham era came from a set-piece as Van de Ven was on hand to finish after Romero nodded on Vicario's long free-kick and Palhinha had seen a shot tipped against the crossbar. Just one goal from a set-piece wasn't enough, though.

Moments after the restart, Porro swung in a free-kick from midway inside the PSG half and Romero was in acres of space at the back post to head into the far corner of the net. In truth, Chevalier should have done much better with his attempt after getting two hands to the ball.

Tottenham look like they will get plenty of joy from set-pieces over the course of this season and beyond.

Late financial blow

Tottenham's Europa League success last season certainly had its financial benefits as winning the final was worth £10.95million in prize money alone. That figure was on top of the £15.49million they had already secured in prize money in the competition, taking their grand total to £26.5million.

There was to be a financial reward on offer for the winners of Wednesday's Super Cup final as whoever triumphed in Udine would collect £4.3million in prize money. The runners up would get slightly less at £3.4millon.

Tottenham did appear on course to collect the maximum amount but in the end they lost out on £900,000 after PSG's late fightback and penalty shootout triumph. The £3.4million may not seem a lot in comparison to what the team pocketed from last season's Europa League but it could help them out in the transfer market before the month is out.

Tottenham fell to a penalty shootout defeat to PSG after drawing 2-2 in the UEFA Super Cup on Wednesday evening in Udine and here are our player ratings.

As Europa League winners, Spurs were up against the Champions League winners and Club World Cup finalists and head coach Thomas Frank utilised a back three for the first time in order to try to counter PSG's attacking quality. That meant a start for Kevin Danso alongside Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven.

Frank had made a strong decision ahead of his first competitive game after telling football.london that he had left Yves Bissouma out of his travelling squad due to disciplinary issues, having repeatedly being late to training. Dominic Solanke was back on the bench after his return from an ankle injury, while Joao Palhinha made his first competitive start for the club after playing 45 minutes in the defeat at Bayern Munich alongside Rodrigo Bentancur.

Spurs began the game well, pressing high up the pitch and they struck in the 39th minute. Mohammed Kudus did well before being fouled and a deep Guglielmo Vicario free-kick caused problems in the box after new captain Cristian Romero headed it across. Palhinha had his shot tipped on to the crossbar and Micky van de Ven was there to send home the loose ball.

The north London side doubled their lead just a couple of minutes after the break. The unmarked Romero sent a thumping header from Porro's deep free-kick towards the far post and new PSG goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier could only get fingertips on it as it went into the far corner of the net.

The French side found a goal back in the final five minutes. Lee Kang-in hit a low drive from outside the box into the bottom right corner of the net. They found a leveller in the 90th minute when Goncalo Ramos headed home from a low cross.

The game went to penalties and although Solanke, Rodrigo Bentancur and Porro scored, Micky van de Ven saw his spot kick saved and Mathys Tel hit his wide, leaving Nuno Mendes to fire home to win the shootout 4-3 for PSG.

Here are our Spurs player ratings after the game:

Guglielmo Vicario

Didn't have much to do until he hit a deep free-kick that led to Spurs' opening goal. Made a good save midway through the second half. Couldn't do much about Lee's clinical low shot from outside the box or Ramos' close range header. Got nowhere near any of the penalties in the shootout. 6

Kevin Danso

Played on the right of the back three and his lack of pre-season minutes compared to others showed at times in the first half but he grew sharper. Sent a header just wide early in the second half. Hurled in some great long throws with seemingly little effort that caused chaos. 7

Cristian Romero

The new Tottenham captain was a huge presence. It was his header that caused chaos for Van de Ven's goal and then he thumped Porro's cross into the far corner for Spurs' second goal. Tired in the final minutes and seemed to pick up either a knock or cramp. Might have got closer otherwise to Ramos' late goal. 8

Micky van de Ven

In the right place at the right time to stroke home the loose ball in the 39th minute. Made a great sliding block in his box in the second half to save a certain goal. Unfortunate to see his spot-kick saved in the shootout. 8

Pedro Porro

Sent a very early shot over from the edge of the PSG box. Curled in a great free-kick to find the unmarked Romero to score in the second half. Battled away and didn't deserve to leave with nothing. Scored his penalty. 8

Rodrigo Bentancur

Put in another display in the midfield that shows he's going to be a key player under Frank. Tired with the team in those final moments. 8

Joao Palhinha

Had his shot pushed on to the crossbar leading to Van de Ven's first half goal. Looked far sharper than his first minutes against Bayern and did some good work in the centre of the pitch alongside Bentancur. Spurs missed him when he came off. 7

Djed Spence

Put in so many good blocks without doing too much at the other end. Was beaten by Dembele in the 90th minute before the Frenchman put in the cross for Ramos to score which just knocks him down a mark. 7

Pape Matar Sarr

Another big game for the young Senegalese midfielder as he did everything in a number 10 role that also brought him back deeper at times to help give Spurs numbers. It's no coincidence they lost some shape when he came off. 8

Mohammed Kudus

Played up front alongside Richarlison and worked hard, winning the foul that led to the opening goal. Held the ball up really well on a number of occasions. 7

Richarlison

Put in a superb shift. Started off with some sloppy passes but grew and grew into the game and his hold-up play, running and flick-ons were huge in helping Spurs keep the ball in the PSG half. 8

Subs

Dominic Solanke

Didn't offer as much as Richarlison and looked like someone who has been out for much of pre-season. 5

Archie Gray

Fought away in the midfield but couldn't bring the control that Palhinha did. 5

Mathys Tel

Not a good cameo with a foul on the edge of his own box, lost the ball a few times and then sent his penalty wide in the shootout. 4

Lucas Bergvall

Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy is not in attendance for this evening's UEFA Super Cup final against PSG in Udine, Italy. The 63-year-old is a regular at all Tottenham games across the globe but he unfortunately is absent for the game against the Champions League holders at Stadio Friuli.

football.london understands the reason for the Spurs chairman not attending is because his daughter is starting university in the United States. As a result, he is present with her and the rest of the family across the Atlantic and so had to miss the Super Cup final.

Having witnessed his Tottenham team win the Europa League final against Manchester United back in May, Levy will be keeping his fingers crossed that the club can claim a second piece of silverware in the space of three months. However, it is going to be some challenge coming up against Luis Enrique's exciting PSG team as they registered an incredible 5-0 win over Inter Milan in last season's Champions League final.

Many will remember that Levy was on the pitch at San Mames Stadium for Tottenham's trophy presentation after beating Manchester United. As that is the duty of the chairman of each club for the trophy presentation to either side, Levy will not be representing Tottenham on the field come the full-time whistle in Udine later this evening.

Tottenham do have plenty of representatives at tonight's game, with the club's technical director Johan Lange spotted alongside Spurs' former managing director of football Fabio Paratici in the stands.

It is a big summer for Levy and the club as Tottenham look to bounce back from finishing 17th in the Premier League table last season. Speaking in a recent interview with Gary Neville on The Overlap, he was asked whether the team's Europa League triumph is his best achievement at the club.

"It has to be," he stated. "Also when we came back here a few days later and did the parade. The outpouring of emotion for everyone to see around the world was amazing.

"It was nothing to do with the money, it was all about [that] we needed a trophy. I promise you. The money, you realise a few days later that we're in the Champions League. But it was about getting a trophy. It's my proudest moment."

Levy added: "We need to compete at the highest level, we need to consistently try to win trophies. That's what it's all about."

Ange Postecoglou has kept a low profile since his dismissal from Tottenham Hotspur following the conclusion of the 2024/25 season. The 59-year-old was sacked just weeks after leading Spurs to their first major trophy in 17 years, as they triumphed over Manchester United 1-0 in the Europa League final.

Before the European victory in May, Postecoglou's squad had a challenging Premier League season filled with problems, resulting in Spurs finishing in a disappointing 17th place, one place above the relegation zone.

The start of his tenure in 2023 was promising, as Postecoglou earned multiple Manager of the Month awards and guided Tottenham on an unbeaten run in the Premier League until November.

However, injuries began to hamper Spurs' progress, and they narrowly missed out on a Champions League spot under the Greek-born boss, finishing fifth in the 2023/24 campaign. The manager's second year saw a further decline, with the club securing only 11 victories throughout the league season.

A successful journey to the Europa League final provided the sole highlight for the supporters. Despite clinching the trophy – marking the first European success since 1984 and Spurs' first silverware since 2008 – Postecoglou was given his marching orders in June.

Despite the recent upheaval, it's not all doom and gloom for Postecoglou; he pocketed over £7million as chairman Daniel Levy decided his time at Spurs was up, and he was recently spotted enjoying a posh steak with a celebrity chef.

As his former team prepare to face Paris Saint-Germain in Wednesday's UEFA Super Cup final, we have been tracking what Postecoglou has been doing since his tenure at Spurs came to an end, as well as where he might be heading next.

Jaw-dropping Spurs payout and Europa League bonus

Postecoglou signed a four-year contract to take over at Spurs in 2023, leaving behind Scottish champions Celtic after securing a domestic treble with the club. However, after just two seasons at the helm of the Premier League side, Levy had to dig deep into his pockets to dismiss him.

According to ESPN, the Spurs chairman paid Postecoglou nearly £4m as part of a severance package to relieve him of his duties at the club.

But that wasn't all; the former manager also received £3.1m as a bonus for clinching the Europa League, banking him over £7m in all this summer. So, after leading the team in 101 matches, boasting a win rate of 46.5% and a European trophy to his name, Postecoglou left Spurs with millions in his bank account.

Many thought that the Europa League victory would be enough to save his position, but the club allowed the squad to celebrate before breaking the news to both fans and the team.

In a statement released to supporters 16 days after the Europa League final, Tottenham said: "Following a review of performances and after significant reflection, the club can announce that Ange Postecoglou has been relieved of his duties.

"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."

Life away from football since sacking

Now, it appears this substantial compensation package to Postecoglou has proved worthwhile, as he was just spotted dining at Sta Kala Kathoumena on the Greek island of Paros. A clip shared by celebrity chef Stefanos Saratsis has surfaced on TikTok, showing Ange enjoying a posh steak dinner prepared by the social media influencer.

The chef can be seen carving a massive piece of meat before offering Postecoglou a cut of the steak and seeking his verdict.

Responses poured in showing delight at the former Spurs boss's first public outing since his dismissal in June, with one writing: "Geez, it's been a while since we've seen Ange smile like that!"

Another said: "And thats the taste of a decent payout from Spurs. Maybe he'll come and get them out of the championship next season," whilst a third joked: "See he's enjoying that £4mill he got from getting sacked."

MLS interest as next club rumours ramp up

Many will be wondering where big Ange will land next, following successful stints in Scotland, Australia, Japan and – briefly – England.

However, it appears a potential reunion with Son Heung-min could be on the cards, as Major League Soccer sides seem to be circling the Greek-Australian tactician.

Earlier in June, BBC Sport reported that MLS outfit Los Angeles FC are considering a swoop for Postecoglou, as current manager Steve Cherundolo is poised to depart for Germany.

The American league's regular season concludes in October, so LAFC may already be plotting to hire the former Spurs boss.

They will also possess an extra surprise up their sleeve, following former Tottenham legend Son's arrival at the MLS franchise on a two-year contract this summer, with an option of a further two years.

A potential reunion between the pair could materialise in the coming months; however, LAFC aren't the sole club pursuing Postecoglou.

Reports indicate that the 59-year-old has been touted for a role in the Saudi Pro League at Al Ahli, who recently won the Asian Champions League under current manager Matthias Jaissle.

Theo Walcott has encouraged Eberechi Eze to factor in the World Cup next summer before moving during this transfer window.

Walcott, a club ambassador for Arsenal, joined the Gunners six months before the 2006 World Cup, a tournament the then-teenager was surprisingly part of. Eze, in contrast, has been a regular in England squads since debuting two years ago, receiving 13 caps.

In the Three Lions' most recent match, a friendly against Senegal, he played a full 90 minutes for the first time. Walcott, however, believes the World Cup "is a big factor for a lot of players this year."

Appearing on episode 43 of It's Called Soccer, the show's host, Rebecca Lowe, asked Walcott about Eze's future. "If I'm Eze, for instance, my thought process is Arsenal is a different kind of pressure," he said.

"There is the pressure of them challenging for the title, that Mikel [Arteta] needs to win something this year. So, being a player that will help the squad, of course, he will, he's an absolutely gifted player; he will help the squad, but will he help himself?

"The good thing about Eze's situation is that he can play every week and has that maverick style that he accepts, making and taking those risks. I think he's a player who can take those risks at Palace. I don't think he will get that at Arsenal.

"If he has a good season at Palace, he will go to the World Cup, I'm pretty sure of that, then what other teams will have a look at him after that? So I think, if I were Eze, I would probably stay put just because it wasn't a World Cup year; if it wasn't a World Cup year, I would move on.'

Walcott concluded: "I love the way Eze plays at Palace at this moment in time, and it would look very different at Arsenal. But he would improve Arsenal, 100 per cent, I just feel the World Cup year is a big factor for a lot of players this year."

Yves Bissouma has sent a Tottenham message on social media after being left out of Thomas Frank's squad for the UEFA Super Cup final against Paris Saint-Germain due to disciplinary reasons.

The Mali international has been reprimanded for his behaviour before with former head coach Ange Postecoglou leaving him out on a number of occasions and it appears as though his conduct has not improved.

When delivering the latest team news for the clash in Udine, with many waiting for the latest injury updates on Dominic Solanke and Destiny Udogie, the Dane also revealed why Bissouma was absent.

"Dom [Solanke] is the positive one, he's available for selection tomorrow, so that's very good," he admitted during his pre-match press conference on Tuesday. "Destiny [Udogie] is closer and getting closer to training with the group.

"So those are two big ones, and then Bissouma has not travelled with the team because of disciplinary reasons."

Pushed on why Bissouma had been left out, Frank added: "He has been late several times and the latest time was one too many. With everything you need to give your players a lot of love but also have demands and there also need to be consequences and this time there was a consequence for that."

Minus the first six games of the 2022/23 season and the final three Europa League fixtures last season, Bissouma has struggled to perform on a consistent basis with an exit potentially on the cards

Following on from Frank's decision, the 28-year-old showed that he may still be still willing to fight for his place, courtesy of an update on Instagram stories on Wednesday morning. The image, which did not have a caption, showed an empty Hotspur Way gym with Bissouma likely as one of the few still in north London.

With Bissouma absent and James Maddison, who has since had surgery to fix an anterior cruciate ligament issue, out injured, Frank does not face too many decisions in midfield. Loan addition Joao Palhinha, Pape Sarr, Lucas Bergvall and Rodrigo Bentancur will seemingly be the quartet competing for three spots.

Additions before Monday, September 1 are expected with Eberechi Eze of Crystal Palace and Manchester City's Savinho being targeted. Alongside that, departures are also very likely with Bissouma joined by Richarlison, Bryan Gil and Manor Solomon as just a few players likely to be for sale at the right price.