Football London

Pedro Porro believes that Ange Postecoglou staying at Tottenham would be "good for the dressing room" and admitted that the prospect of him being sacked upset him.

Postecoglou led Tottenham to their first trophy in 17 years with their Europa League victory against Manchester United in Bilbao last month. However, that first European title in 41 years came at a cost with a 17th place finish in the Premier League amid a backdrop of injuries, weakened starting XIs and poor performances.

It is the latter that has brought speculation aplenty about the Spurs head coach's future despite him ending the trophy drought and chairman Daniel Levy is set to make a decision on what comes next.

Porro was one of the stars of Tottenham's silverware-winning campaign and while on international duty with Spain, the right-back has made it clear what he believes must happen with Postecoglou.

"I’m not thinking about club football right now because I am here with Spain and we have two important games this week, but him continuing would be good for the dressing room," said the 25-year-old in an interview with the Guardian.

"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."

Porro was asked whether he meant some players don't understand that and he quickly clarified that he meant that those inside the dressing room know exactly what Postecoglou has been doing and dealing with.

"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," said the Spaniard.

"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."

He added: "The coach wanted to compete in both competitions because he’s a winner, [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."

Porro is proud of what Postecoglou and this group of Spurs players have managed to do for the club and the fanbase, as evidenced by a trophy parade that brought an estimated 220,000 supporters to the streets of 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," he said. "You change families’ lives. They had suffered. We had suffered too inside, day by day.”

“[Spurs had become] a meme”, he added. "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."

Porro admitted that Postecoglou used a variant of the famous old Sir Alex Ferguson line revealed by Roy Keane 'lads it's Tottenham' line this season.

"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," he said. "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."

Tottenham have lost further ground in the transfer market with a key target preferring a move elsewhere as a final decision on the future of Ange Postecoglou is yet to be communicated.

Chairman Daniel Levy is set to have the final say and now he is back from holiday, clarity will surely emerge on the manager situation this week. Wholesale changes are expected this summer in north London and they have already begun with Donna-Maria Cullen leaving the club and and Vinai Venkatesham arriving in as the new CEO.

Former transfer chief Fabio Paratici could also return to the club while Johan Lange and Scott Munn are potentially at risk of being dismissed.

An alteration in the dugout could also take place even with a European trophy seemingly not enough to balance out a disastrous Premier League campaign.

Fulham's Marco Silva and Brentford head coach Thomas Frank are two candidates to take over should the Australian be relieved of his duties.

While the general feeling is that the latter would struggle having two games to prepare for most weeks due to Champions League football being obtained, he could have helped Spurs in the race to sign Bryan Mbeumo.

Just a few days ago, the Bees boss gave a very clear answer when asked about the Cameroon international departing the Gtech Community Stadium this summer.

"It is clear that if he is to be sold, it must be for a nice, nice amount," Frank said of Mbeumo to Viaplay. "It is a lot. Mucho. Really a lot.

"Then it is clear that it is impossible to replace him one for one. It cannot be done. There is a reason why he costs x number of million pounds, and we do not have x number of million pounds to buy for.

"I would say that I would be surprised if a lot of big clubs don’t look at him. I would be surprised with what he has to offer.

“How many wingers score 20 goals for a mid-table club? And then with seven assists plus his work ethic. And his character. All these things mean that he has a lot, so he is a good player."

However, regardless of whether or not Frank replaces Postecoglou, Mbeumo is said to have chosen his next club and it will not be Tottenham. According to The Athletic, the 25-year-old wants to join Manchester United over Arsenal, Newcastle United and Spurs.

With Rayan Cherki also in talks to join Manchester City, that is two Spurs targets appearing set to move elsewhere.

Unless Tottenham are the only club interested in a player, it is seemingly quite hard to convince targets to join when the manager situation is yet to be resolved.

Tottenham have launched their new Nike home kit for the 2025/26 season and there is plenty to spot in the unveiling.

The club showed off the new white shirt which has navy on the shoulders like last season, but with a new grey and ashen slate pattern under the arm and the cockerel badge sitting centrally on the chest of the shirt.

Spurs signed their big-money deal with Nike back in 2017 and extended it the following year to a 15-year agreement which will last until at least 2033, meaning it is one of the longest football club deals in the sportswear giant's history. Reports at the time suggested the agreement was worth around £30million a season for the north London outfit.

Here are five things we noticed from Tuesday's unveiling of the latest home kit with the 'Take a vow' campaign:

Looking to the future

Tottenham's transfer policy has been very much about looking to the future and this latest kit launch plays into that.

Both of the prominent teenagers from last season, Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall, who swept up most of the supporter awards at the end of the season, feature heavily in the promotional content along with younger senior players such as Micky van de Ven and Dejan Kulusevski. Skipper Bethany England and a third Swede in Amanda Nilden gave a look at the Tottenham Hotspur Women's version of the kits.

Brief Son

That focus on youth means the Tottenham captain only gets the briefest of appearances in the unveiling video, turning up in a little video montage towards the end saying 'I do' from the training ground.

Son Heung-min is expected to feature prominently in the overall campaign for the 2025/26 kits, though, so fear not fans of the South Korean star and Spurs skipper.

The King

One older head does appear prominently in the home kit launch and that is former captain Ledley King.

The central defender is our guide through what is essentially a wedding vow for Tottenham supporters declaring their love for the club for life through the good times and the bad.

King stretches his acting chops in the video as he leads us all through the Tottenham vow.

Former players

It's not just King who turns up in the video as in that montage featuring Son, those former Tottenham stars saying 'I do', include Aaron Lennon, Pat Jennings, Heurelho Gomes and Sebastien Bassong. The legendary ex-Spurs manager Bill Nicholson also is shown on an early image on the back of a programme.

Later in the montage, there are also various internet influencers and celebrity fans such as WWE wrestler Finn Balor taking the vow.

Dodgy lasagne

There's also a nod towards one of Spurs' darkest days in the modern era when King refers to loving the club in sickness and in health.

When the word 'sickness' is said so the camera pans to a shot of a plate of lasagne, bringing back painful memories of the 'lasagne-gate' incident in the final game of the 2005/6 season. That day 10 members of Martin Jol's Tottenham side were struck down with illness when due to face West Ham, with a victory all that was needed to finish in the top four.

The struggling Spurs players fell to defeat and that allowed the other team down the road in north London to slip into the final Champions League spot.

Tottenham confirmed their released list at the weekend with four first-team exits. Fraser Forster, Alfie Whiteman and Sergio Reguilon will all depart the football club upon the expiration of their contracts later this month, with Timo Werner returning to parent club RB Leipzig following his loan spell.

Spurs are still to confirm what is happening with Ben Davies as the long-serving defender is now in the final month of his current deal. Question marks also persist over Mathys Tel as the north London club do have the option to buy him permanently from Bayern Munich following the agreement both clubs struck in February.

As important as it is that Tottenham come to a decision over the duo soon, and also what is happening regarding head coach Ange Postecoglou's future, they also need to plan ahead as a few players are out of contract come the summer of 2026. So who are the players in question? football.london takes a look below.

Yves Bissouma

Yves Bissouma will soon be in the final year of his contract after joining from Brighton & Hove Albion in the summer of 2022. The Mali international has struggled to hit the form he displayed at Brighton on a regular basis but he has delivered some big performances during his time at the club, most notably in the first few months of Postecoglou's tenure and in the latter stages of Spurs' successful 2024/25 Europa League campaign.

Despite those key displays, including the final against Manchester United, it still may be best for Spurs to move him on this summer as consistency has been a problem. His value will only continue to decrease and Tottenham will not want to be in a position where they lose him for nothing.

Rodrigo Bentancur

Whereas Bissouma may potentially move on, Tottenham need to get Rodrigo Bentancur to pen fresh terms in north London. The midfielder was instrumental immediately after his move from Juventus but an ACL injury at Leicester City in February 2023 derailed things for the Uruguayan.

In and out of the team following his return, Bentancur featured in 44 games in all competitions this season and Postecoglou was very happy with the levels his player was producing. Spurs need to ensure he is doing exactly the same beyond 2026.

Son Heung-min

Tottenham have a big decision to make when it comes to captain Son Heung-min. Exercising the option in his contract to extend it by a further 12 months at the turn of the year, the South Korean will be out of contract in one year's time.

Son struggled to hit top form on a consistent basis throughout the 2024/25 campaign but he did still contribute with 11 goals and 12 assists. Due to those up and down performances, the 32-year-old could potentially find himself in and out of the team next season unless he can get back to his best week in, week out.

Could the 2025/26 campaign be his last in a Tottenham shirt? All will become clear over the coming months.

Bryan Gil

Bryan Gil's season unfortunately ended in disappointment as he underwent surgery on a knee injury sustained in March. The Spaniard had caught the eye with Girona and contributed with four goals and three assists in 32 games before his season was brought to a cruel end.

It remains to be seen when exactly Gil will return to full fitness and whether it will impact a potential summer transfer. Tottenham really need to part with him on a permanent basis before the end of the summer window or else they will run the risk of losing him for nothing.

Daniel Levy has been told not to go back to square one with Tottenham by sacking "big mouth" Ange Postecoglou.

The Spurs chairman is set to decide on what comes next for the Australian and his coaching team after a season which finally brought a trophy after 17 years of waiting but also a 17th-place finish in the Premier League as Postecoglou prioritised the Europa League once injuries and some poor performances derailed the domestic campaign.

Postecoglou is currently on holiday in Greece awaiting the decision and has made it very clear that he wants to continue in the role and build upon ending the club's silverware drought.

Former Tottenham, Fulham and Manchester United striker Louis Saha has delivered his verdict on what Levy should do about the Australian and whether there should be a season three.

"I think Ange will still be there next season, in charge in North London. I think Daniel Levy found out at the start of the campaign that Ange has a big mouth, saying he was going to win a trophy in his second year," Saha told 10bet. "Basically, Spurs haven’t won anything for almost 20 years, so how can you sack Postecoglou now? It’s impossible.

"I think fairness demands that Postecoglou will have to concede that he made some mistakes of his own, and they will need to improve next year, but I think everyone who saw Spurs lift the trophy will know he deserves to stay as manager."

He added: "To go back to square one with a new manager, it doesn’t make sense. Even if the season was tough, and there were obvious errors, the manager won a trophy and he can be the guy to bring them on, to spur on the players further. Don’t change the manager - keep him on."

Tottenham Hotspur have confirmed the departure of assistant coach Ryan Mason, who will become the new head coach of Championship outfit West Bromwich Albion.

The Baggies have been in search of a replacement for Tony Mowbray, who departed once it was mathematically confirmed the club could not reach the recent play-offs for promotion to the Premier League.

Spurs chairman Daniel Levy said in statement released to the club's website: "Ryan has been an integral part of Tottenham Hotspur for a number of years, both as a player and a coach.

"I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Ryan for all his dedication and hard work over the years, and we wish him every success for the future."

Mason first signed for the Tottenham as a player in 2008. He would leave eight years later and following his premature retirement due to complications that could result from skull fracture suffered whilst playing for Hull City, he ventured into coaching and returned to North London.

He progressed from the youth levels onto Jose Mourinho's staff, ending the 2020/21 season as interim boss when the Portuguese was dismissed.

Mason has since acted under Antonio Conte and Ange Postecoglou, bringing his time in coaching to seven years.

Now he has signed a three-year deal at the Hawthorns to make his first full steps into management.

This departure from the coaching staff comes at a time when football.london understands Levy is currently pondering the future of Spurs, specifically if he is to stick or twist with the manager who has delivered a 17th-placed Premier League finish alongside UEFA Europa League success.

Postecoglou, on holiday currently, awaits that decision, and so does the entirety of the club.

Regardless of the 59-year-old returning to North London for next season or not, the club will now be looking for a new assistant ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

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Tottenham assistant coach Sergio Raimundo has revealed that belief was a major factor in the club ending their 17-year trophy drought by winning the Europa League. Turning to Ange Postecoglou in the summer of 2023 due to his track record of winning silverware, the Australian guided his players to the European title with a 1-0 win over Premier League rivals Manchester United.

Postecoglou famously said back in September that he always win things in his second season at a club, which is exactly what happened as Tottenham put a wretched domestic season behind them to win the Europa League and also secure a Champions League berth for next season.

Either always on the losing side in recent finals or not making it past the semi-finals, Postecoglou and his coaching team knew they had to give the players some belief in their goal to win things, with Raimundo stating that the head-coach in particular was "fantastic" at instilling that sense in the team.

"We started the season wanting to change this story. What we did was, and also largely due to the coach, who was spectacular at this, always have belief and we passed this belief on to the players," Raimundo said in an interview with Portuguese publication Record (via Sport Witness).

"I remember saying to the players in pre-season: 'This is the year we lift a cup, this is the year we win a title'. So, we started to generate this belief within the group, and we had that mental strength to not deviate, to remain united as a group and always together, even in the worst moments."

Having progressed through the league phase of the competition, Tottenham found themselves 1-0 down from the first leg of their round of 16 tie against AZ Alkmaar before winning the return leg 3-1 on the night to advance. Producing two very good displays against Eintracht Frankfurt in the quarter-finals to set up a semi-final showdown with Bodo/Glimt, Tottenham brushed the Norwegian outfit aside prior to beating Manchester United in the final.

Excellent in Europe even in the most testing of times, Raimundo has put that down to the mentality of the players.

"I think we started very strong at AZ Alkmaar [round of 16], but even more so in Frankfurt [quarter-final]," he said. "We have always been professionals, but from Frankfurt onwards we had a mentality.

"They are not philosophies, they are not principles, it is to maintain all of that, but now it is to win. In the end it is important that we play well, but it was more important for everyone and for the club to win the trophy."

Returning home from their Bilbao triumph to a sea of Tottenham fans outside the club's home as they took part in a victory parade, Raimundo unfortunately missed out on the occasion as he needed to be in Ireland to continue his UEFA Pro Diploma course studies with the Irish FA. However, he got a taste of just what was happening in N17 on a video call.

"They did a Zoom with me live and there were about 250,000 people in the streets. It was crazy," he said. "And after the game against Brighton, the fans were super happy, everyone stayed on the pitch, we walked around with the trophy and you can see the impact of them being teased and having that 'Spursy' theme. It means they almost arrive but never do. Now everyone is motivated, happy, you see a lot of shirts on the street."

Amid the current uncertainty over Postecoglou's future and whether Raimundo and the rest of the coaching staff will still be at Tottenham next season, the Lisbon-born coach just wants to keep winning with Spurs.

"It’s about continuing to win," he admitted. "I always had the idea of winning ten titles in ten different countries, with first division teams.

"Wherever you are, keep winning, because the impact it has on your family, on the fans, on the clubs, the joy you generate… it’s addictive!"

Daniel Levy is set to make a decision that will determine the future of Tottenham Hotspur and whether they build upon their first trophy in 17 years or simply step back into the crowd.

Ange Postecoglou is currently sitting on a beach in Greece awaiting the verdict from the chairman as to whether winning Spurs' first piece of European silverware in 41 years is enough for him to continue in the job. There wouldn't even be a conversation to be had at most clubs, but this is Tottenham where change is so frequent that staff might as well wear name badges to save the introductions.

The problem for Postecoglou is that for all the talk of Levy craving a trophy, it's not been as simple as that this season for the club. As the Australian decided to prioritise the Europa League when he realised his injury-ravaged side could neither do anything of note in the Premier League nor get relegated, so Spurs plummeted with weakened starting XIs and some woeful performances to 17th place and a record 22 defeats.

It was a terrible look and it meant a drop in prize money of £33.8million from the previous season's fifth place finish, if using the previous campaign's figures of £2.8million per position. That's a costly decision for Postecoglou to make and it will have been part of the reason why some within the club did not agree with him placing all of his eggs into the Europe basket.

In the end though Postecoglou's gamble paid off in both respects. Levy and Tottenham's trophy drought is finally over and the added bonus of Champions League qualification meant that not only did the Australian deliver every target asked of him, if not in the traditional manner, but plenty of money will flood in through Europe's elite competition, balancing out that lost Premier League prize money.

Yet whether that is enough will lie with Levy. The chairman is constantly tinkering with the north London club, always trying to make what he believes are updates and improvements, sometimes proactively, sometimes reactively.

It results in the biennial Tottenham wheel of change, where members of staff on the football side mostly last between 18 months and two years whether that be managers, coaches or technical directors.

The only stability at the club has come from the near quarter-century reign of Levy and his two trusted lieutenants, executive director Donna-Maria Cullen and operations and finance director Matthew Collecott. This summer that trio will be broken up after Cullen left the board on Saturday and will depart the club within the next couple of months.

For Collecott, who knows, there may yet be the potential of a change in role depending on what new CEO Vinai Venkatesham takes into his remit upon his arrival this week.

That leaves Levy with the sole decision to make over continuing the biennial clean sweep through the club with or without Postecoglou, who was the first Spurs head coach to last a full season in half a decade, in the broom's bristles.

One big problem for Levy is that the majority of Tottenham fans have swung firmly behind Postecoglou after he delivered them one of their most memorable nights in decades.

A few still point to the woeful league season, which cannot be ignored even if history likely will, but the numbers are with the Australian, as evidenced not only by the reaction to him from the estimated 220,000 supporters at the parade and then those at the final game of the season but also in various social media polls that show the huge majority believe Postecoglou has earned the right to go into the third season he promised would be even more fruitful.

The other issue Levy faces is who comes in next. When he sacked Mauricio Pochettino, he had serial winner Jose Mourinho to come in and dry the fans' tears. That brutal decision, while heart-breaking for many after the effort the Argentine had put in, was somewhat explainable when you looked at Mourinho's track record. There is a certain irony of course that Levy then sacked the Portuguese just days before he had a chance to finally win a trophy.

However, 2025 presents a very different managerial landscape. Thomas Frank and Marco Silva, for instance, are very good coaches but if Postecoglou is sacked after finally giving the fans something they've only dreamed of for either of the managers who finished 10th and 11th in the Premier League, the reaction is going to be huge from the fanbase and Postecoglou's name is likely to be awkwardly sung next season the moment something goes wrong.

To replace Postecoglou would create a huge 'what if' moment around the Australian going forward as well as no little mocking for Tottenham being utterly 'Spursy' after finally appearing to kill that tag.

Frank has been installed as the favourite among many bookmakers but Postecoglou may well point out that he has come out on top in three of their four meetings in the past two seasons and the other was a draw. For all of the Dane's clear tactical acumen and the Australian's perceived lack of it, it's been one way traffic.

Frank and Silva would both be a safe pair of hands in the Premier League, although Everton and Hull fans might disagree on the latter. They are both managers used to getting smaller teams into midtable positions without the burden of the expectations at Tottenham or even European football.

That in itself is another irony. Some of the doubts around Postecoglou linger on whether his style of football is sustainable across four different competitions. Yet Silva has no experience of managing a team in continental competition at all while Frank's experience extends only to a handful of ultimately unsuccessful Europa League qualifying games with Brondby 10 years ago.

That's not to say that either won't be able to succeed at Tottenham. They are both clever, high quality coaches and Frank in particular will be good value for the media. It's simply saying it's as much of a gamble as some might see keeping Postecoglou is. It's also a costly one for the Australian would need to be paid off for the remainder of his contract as well as his coaching staff and then compensation paid for the new man. Postecoglou could also reasonably argue any dismissal by pointing to what he achieved in the end.

On top of that, the squad rebuild would need to start again to suit a new manager's needs. It's going back to square one and overall it's a remarkable amount of money to pay out to make major changes after finally achieving success. For all of Levy's famed business acumen, it doesn't particularly add up as a smart decision or send a great signal to any prospective managers in the future about what they will be judged on in the role.

Postecoglou wants to remain at Tottenham and believes he's got so much more to achieve with this group of players, added to with a bit of experience, and that they will build on the platform of the trophy win. It important not to underestimate how strongly the dressing room is behind the 59-year-old as well.

It's not that Postecoglou will be worried either about life after Spurs. He is a European champion and will have job offers galore. He need only look at the most recent group of managers in Antonio Conte, Nuno Espirito Santo, Pochettino and Mourinho to see that there is life and silverware available immediately after leaving Tottenham.

But Postecoglou wants to do it at Spurs. He believes that night in Bilbao will just be the beginning if the right decisions are made behind the scenes to push the club on.

Everyone is waiting to see whether season three is truly better than season two or whether the main character will be killed off before it even starts, as Postecoglou feared. The problem is the main character at Tottenham Hotspur has always been Daniel Levy and the chairman will decide whether Premier League comfort is the ultimate aim or to back a man who dared and did.

Ange Postecoglou has broken his silence since the end of the season, with rumours swirling around his future as Tottenham Hotspur head coach.

Postecoglou delivered Spurs their first trophy in 17 years and their first piece of European silverware in 41 years when winning the UEFA Europa League final against Manchester United in San Mames, Bilbao.

But that victory came against a backdrop of a horrendous Premier League campaign, in which Spurs finished 17th, just one place above the relegation zone.

There were plenty or rumours around Postecoglou's future in the build-up to the final, with many reports even suggesting the Australian would be sacked no matter what happened in the final.

There is a groundswell of support behind Postecoglou now, following that trophy win, with emotions around the club still very much on a high.

Levy is expected to make a decision on the head coach's future in the coming days, with no one quite knowing what the outcome will be.

Postecoglou has made it clear his job is not over and that he will ne be throwing in the towel. He said after the final: "I don't think my job is done here. I really feel like we're building something and what a trophy does is hopefully accelerates that."

Then, speaking at the open-top bus parade after the Europa League triumph, that was witnessed by an astonishing 220,000 supporters in Tottenham, the head coach said that "all the best television series, season three is better than season two". That received a huge roar from the crowd and with the players on stage alongside him.

And in an interview for Australia's Story - an ABC broadcast about his life and how he has got to the stage - Postecoglou made a key statement that spoke volumes about him and his plans.

"I didn't want us to just enjoy the moment. I also wanted us to think about what's next, you know - don't settle for this," explained the Australian. "We've got a taste of it now. My players have got a taste for it. The club's got a taste for it. Well, let's make sure we're back here again."

It was only a little thing, but the fact he said "my players" rather than "the players" shows just how he feels about his story at Tottenham and with the Spurs players not being over yet.