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How Tottenham missed out on £8.4m on final day of Premier League drama

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How Tottenham missed out on £8.4m on final day of Premier League drama - Football London
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Tottenham lost their 22nd and final game of a dreadful Premier League season on Sunday.

It was somewhat to be expected, with celebrations from their Europa League triumph on Wednesday going all the way to the open-top bus parade on Friday.

That meant that preparations for their final match of the campaign - at home to Brighton & Hove Albion - were hardly what you would call smooth.

Things remarkably started well for Spurs, who were the better team in the first half. Mathys Tel was bright in the first period and was the instigator for the opening goal, brought down by Mats Wieffer in the box for Dominic Solanke to step up and score from the penalty spot.

But in the second half Brighton roared back and dispatched with a tiring Tottenham side with ease in the end.

Jack Hinshelwood scored twice, one a cheeky backheel, before Matt O'Riley scored from the spot and Diego Gomez rounded things off with a screamer.

It meant Spurs ended the season in 17th place, just one position above the relegation zone, with the Europa League triumph making up for a desperately dismal domestic showing.

Spurs entered the final day knowing they could actually finish as high as 14th with a win and if results went their way.

And for almost half an hour in the first half they were in 14th place. And that would have seen them secure a significantly bigger windfall.

Every position in the Premier League is worth between £2million and £3million, with each position worth around £2.8million last season.

And finishing 17th, rather than 14th, means Spurs have missed out on approximately £8.4million, based on last season's financial figures.

In the end, the Spurs result did not matter, with other results not going the way they needed to, meaning they could not finish any higher than 17th in the end. But there were moments where Spurs could have pocketed more than £8million than they will actually take home now.

Tottenham boss on his future and final day defeat

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Ange Postecoglou press conference LIVE - Tottenham boss on his future and final day defeat - Football London
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Ange Postecoglou is holding his final press conference of the Premier League season after Tottenham's 4-1 loss against Brighton on Sunday.

In a great atmosphere following the Europa League triumph, the hosts opened the scoring with Dominic Solanke's calm 17th minute penalty after Mathys Tel was tripped in the Brighton box. Tel had a great chance to double the score late in the first half only for Bart Verbruggen to save well from his low shot.

The hosts visibly tired a lot in the second half and Brighton grabbed an equaliser early on as the ball hit Solanke and bounced perfectly for Jack Hinshelwood to smash into the roof of the net. Hinshelwood netted again after the hour when Pedro Porro stepped away from him and Archie Gray didn't get across to cover in time, leaving the Brighton man time to backheel the ball into the net as the ball fell his way from a corner.

Brighton got a third when Matt O'Riley scored from the spot, firing the ball inside the right-hand post after Yves Bissouma tried to cover the injured Destiny Udogie and took out Diego Gomez with a late challenge. Brighton's fourth came when Gomez curled in a shot from distance. The Tottenham fans responded with the entire stadium singing 'Oh when the Spurs go marching in' as they waved their flags, knowing this week was not really about this match.

Our Spurs correspondent Alasdair Gold is among those putting the questions to Postecoglou after the match and walkaround with the Europa League trophy. Scroll down for his latest updates from the press conference at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Odobert and Bissouma struggle after early Solanke goal

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Tottenham player ratings vs Brighton - Odobert and Bissouma struggle after early Solanke goal - Football London
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Following their Europa League celebrations, Tottenham Hotspur had to finish off their Premier League campaign against Brighton on Sunday and they did so with a tired 4-1 defeat.

Spurs held a trophy parade in front of 220,000 Tottenham fans lining the streets of N17 on Friday but had to get themselves back into game mode for the match against a Brighton side pushing for a European spot themselves. Cristian Romero and Son Heung-min missed out with toe and foot problems but Ange Postecoglou only made three changes to the side that started the Europa League final.

Kevin Danso started at centre-back alongside Micky van de Ven in the absence of the injured Romero, while Archie Gray came into midfield for Yves Bissouma and Mathys Tel replaced Richarlison in attack.

Spurs opened the scoring with Dominic Solanke's calm 17th minute penalty after Mathys Tel was tripped in the Brighton box. Tel had a great chance to double the score late in the first half only for Bart Verbruggen to save well from his low shot.

The hosts visibly tired in the second half and Brighton grabbed an equaliser early on as the ball hit Solanke and bounced perfectly for Jack Hinshelwood to smash into the roof of the net. Hinshelwood scored again after the hour mark after Pedro Porro stepped away from him and Archie Gray didn't get across to cover in time, leaving the Brighton man time to backheel the ball into the net as the ball fell his way from a corner.

Brighton got a third when Matt O'Riley scored from the spot, firing the ball inside the right-hand post after Yves Bissouma tried to cover the injured Destiny Udogie and took out Diego Gomez with a late challenge.

It became four for Brighton when Gomez curled in a shot from distance. The Tottenham fans responded with the entire stadium singing 'Oh when the Spurs go marching in' as they waved their flags, knowing this week was not really about this match.

Here are our Spurs player ratings from the match:

Guglielmo Vicario

Made a couple of good saves but was beaten by the speed of Hinshelwood's first goal, the ingenuity of the second one and then couldn't get to O'Riley's late penalty or Gomez' late curling shot. 4

Pedro Porro

Got up and down the right with plenty of sprints and teed up Tel for a great chance in the first half. Stepped away from Hinshelwood for the second Brighton goal. Tired a lot as the game wore on. 5

Kevin Danso

Made some big challenges including one goal-saving one early in the second half. One of Spurs' better defenders on the day albeit with some sloppy passing. 6

Micky van de Ven

Not quite himself after those big celebrations and he came off at the hour mark. 5

Destiny Udogie

Made a couple of good runs down the left but struggled in the second half and lost the ball and seemed to suffer an injury to hand Brighton the chance to break for the penalty. 5

Rodrigo Bentancur

An all-action performance from the Uruguayan in the first half and had to take a yellow card for the team after a break he started should have ended with a Tel goal only for Brighton to break back dangerously. Worked hard but came off after the hour mark with that caution hanging over him. 7

Archie Gray

Made some big tackles in the first half. His second half wasn't as good - in keeping with the team - but he was one of the few ones still running at the end of the game. 6

Pape Matar Sarr

Lasted only a half, during which he put in his usual energy levels. 6

Brennan Johnson

Worked hard defensively without much joy at the other end in the first half before missing a big chance in the box when he scuffed wide from Tel's pull back. A miracle that he lasted 90 minutes after his celebrations since Wednesday. 5

Dominic Solanke

Hit the calmest of penalties off the underneath of the crossbar early on. Unfortunate with Brighton's goal as he knew nothing about the ball hitting him and deflecting to Hinshelwood. 6

Mathys Tel

Bright from the off and won the early penalty after being tripped on a run into the box. Should have made it 2-0 before the break only for Verbruggen to save his shot. Set up Johnson for a big chance before the hour mark with a great run down the left. Quiet after that before he came off. 6

Subs

Wilson Odobert

Came on in the midfield at the break and looked weak in the role compared to Sarr. You'd think it won't be a position for him going forward. 4

Ben Davies

Came on for the final half hour for Van de Ven and didn't have much to do with either goal after that. 5

Yves Bissouma

A clumsy challenge for the penalty and this was another cameo from the bench that was nowhere near his performances when starting, albeit he came into the game with a block. 4

Richarlison

Couldn't affect the game much in the final half hour. 4

Djed Spence

Why Ange Postecoglou raged at two Tottenham players as Daniel Levy sent clear message

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Why Ange Postecoglou raged at two Tottenham players as Daniel Levy sent clear message - Football London
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It was another rough day of Premier League action as Tottenham rounded off their poor domestic season with a 22nd defeat of the campaign at the hands of Brighton & Hove Albion.

Tottenham took the lead inside the fist quarter from the penalty spot. A bright Mathys Tel was brought down in the box and Dominic Solanke stepped up to fire in off the crossbar - straight down the middle of the goal.

But Brighton stepped it up in the second period and turned the game on its head with two Jack Hinshelwood goals, albeit from poor Spurs defending.

Matt O'Riley scored from the spot as a tired Spurs completely dropped off and Diego Gomez scored a stunner in stoppage time to make it 4-1.

Here's what you may have missed from the final day of action.

Maddison enjoys himself

With a strong side out there were not too many big names on the sidelines.

However, injured duo Son Heung-min and James Maddison were present inside the stadium and Maddison was still clearly in the party spirit.

With the tunes playing inside the stadium, Maddison could be seen on the touchline sharing a laugh and a joke with his captain and could even be spotted dancing along to Waka Waka, by Shakira.

First chant

There was an incredible atmosphere inside the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium before the players entered the arena.

The usual classics of Waka Waka, Freed From Desire and Can't Smile Without You whipped the crowd up into a frenzy, as if they needed it after the week the club has had, with flags on every seat utilised to make for an astonishing sight and sound.

And as the game got under way, the first chant from the supporters in the South Stand was for the head coach. 'Oh, ooooh Ange Postecoglou' reverberated around the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Over to you, Daniel Levy.

Bentancur on it

The talk ahead of kick-off was around what sort of team Ange Postecoglou would pick given the party atmosphere around the club from the Europa League final win on Wednesday and the open-top bus parade on Friday.

Who would be nursing hangovers, who would be in a fit state to play?

As it happened, Postecoglou named a strong side, with only three changes from the final team.

And Rodrigo Bentancur showed he was at the peak of his powers and suffering no ill effects with an imperious display early on.

Spurred on by having his daughter as a mascot, the Uruguayan bit into tackles, demanded the ball, got things moving and even had the wherewithal to juggle the ball over a Brighton midfielder to get one attack started.

He was everywhere and truly back to the Bentancur of old.

Postecoglou runaround

Brighton started the second half strongly, after Spurs had the advantage in the first, and duly equalised through Jack Hinshelwood.

But Spurs had the opportunity to regain the lead moments after that leveller and it had Postecoglou running around his technical area.

A brilliant dart down the left by Mathys Tel saw him get almost to the byline having run from halfway. He cut the ball back and there, running in as he always does, was Brennan Johnson, but his shot into the ground flew past the post.

Postecoglou turned and almost ran in a circle around his technical area with his hands on his head, not taking them off his head for a good many seconds. He could not believe it.

Postecoglou rages

Postecoglou was at it again five minutes from time, for the moment that led to Brighton's clinching third goal.

As Spurs won the ball inside their own box, they looked to counter, but newly on the pitch on the left hand side of a front three, Djed Spence initially seemed reluctant to sprint forwards.

When he did he took a pass from from Destiny Udogie, the Italian then underlapped to take a return ball. But Udogie's return pass to Spence was woefully short and Brighton broke with Yves Bissouma bringing down Diego Gomez in the box for Matt O'Riley to score from the spot to make it 3-1.

Ange Postecoglou, arms outstretched, raged at Spence and Udogie, unable to comprehend what had just happened to allow Brighton to round off the match.

Tottenham vs Brighton LIVE: Dominic Solanke opens scoring with penalty before Hinshelwood nets twice

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Tottenham vs Brighton LIVE: Dominic Solanke opens scoring with calm penalty after Mathys Tel trip - Football London
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Brighton score

Hinshelwood scores again. Porro steps away from him and Gray doesn't get across to cover in time, leaving the Brighton man time to backheel the ball into the net as the ball falls his way from a corner.

Big chance

Should have been another Spurs goal there as Tel raced down the left flank and pulled the ball across the box but Johnson scuffed his shot wide.

Brighton score

Bit of a mess from a corner as the ball hits Solanke and bounces perfectly for Hinshelwood to smash into the roof of the net. 1-1.

Save

Should have been 2-0 to Spurs. Great break from Bentancur. He eventually finds Porro who feeds Tel and the Frenchman shoots only for Verbruggen to make a good save.

Pre-match vibes

Here's a look at the incredible atmosphere inside Tottenham Hotspur Stadium today.

There was a flag on every seat and the supporters certainly made the most of it.

Just under 15 minutes until kick-off

There's a good atmosphere building inside the stadium. There's a real party mood and hopefully the players feed into that. Son and Madders, who are by the side of the pitch, were just shown on the big screen here at the stadium and got a great ovation from the crowd. Shakira's Waka Wake is playing and Maddison has a little dance.

Thoughts, Spurs fans?

So, how do we feel now we've seen the Spurs lineup?

It's a very strong team from Ange Postecoglou, with only three changes from the team that started the Europa League final!

What condition the players are actually in, we will soon see!

Team news

The teams are in for today's clash and Ange Postecoglou has had to make some important decisions, given everything that has happened in the last few days.

League positions

Tottenham go into today's final game of the season in 17th place in the league table.

However, they can finish the season in 14th if they win and other results go their way.

Winning, against a Brighton side looking to try and claim a European spot, depending on results going their way, after days of partying, however, may prove difficult.

Levy talks

It's the final game of the season and as is customary, chairman Daniel Levy has delivered an end of season message to the supporters in his programme notes for the match.

It's a very celebratory message, but there is one key thing missing from the message that fans are desperate to find out.

Read his message here.

May the odds be ever in your favour

Tottenham are at home and normally you'd expect them to be favourites to win.

But this has been a strange season and the players have been out celebrating their Europa League success.

So the odds are actually in Brighton's favour.

Grosvenor Sport match odds

Tottenham Hotspur 18/5

Draw 7/2

Brighton and Hove Albion 8/13

Predicted team

It's tough to know how Ange Postecoglou will go with his team selection for today's match.

The squad partied in Spain and parited in London before another party with the open-top bus parade on Friday...it's going to depend on who's in a physically fit state to play.

Here's our go at predicting the starting XI.

The reverse

I think most of us would rather forget the reverse fixture between these two teams.

Tottenham were in cruise control at the Amex Stadium, leading 2-0 at half-time, only to turn in an atrocious second half display to lose 3-2.

There could be goals today, with Spurs having spent the last week celebrating their Europa League triumph and Brighton desperate for the points in their outside quest for European football next season.

Welcome

Hello everyone and welcome to live coverage of Tottenham's final game of the Premier League campaign.

None of us will be sorry to see the back of this domestic season, but there will be a carnival atmosphere inside the stadium today after the Europa League winning exploits of midweek.

Who's looking forward to seeing the trophy again?

Tottenham team vs Brighton confirmed as Postecoglou makes just three changes from final

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Tottenham team vs Brighton confirmed as Postecoglou makes just three changes from final - Football London
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Tottenham Hotspur still have one match to go after their Europa League celebrations and Ange Postecoglou has picked his final team of the season as Brighton come to town in the Premier League.

Spurs have celebrated their triumph in Bilbao against Manchester United long and hard over the past few days, not only on the night of the final, but also the next evening and the trophy parade in front of 220,000 Tottenham fans lining the streets of N17 on Friday. Postecoglou has had to decide which of his players are in a state ready to play a Premier League match against a Brighton side pushing for a European spot themselves.

Postecoglou had already ruled out Cristian Romero and Son Heung-min with toe and foot problems respectively while Yves Bissouma was 50/50 with a knock, but the midfielder does make the bench.

Postecoglou made only three changes to the side that started the Europa League final. Kevin Danso starts at centre-back alongside Micky van de Ven in the absence of the injured Romero. Archie Gray comes into midfield for Bissouma and Mathys Tel comes in for Richarlison in attack.

Here's the Spurs team and subs:

Ange Postecoglou's heartfelt message to Tottenham fans ahead of final game of the season

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Ange Postecoglou's heartfelt message to Tottenham fans ahead of final game of the season - Football London
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Ange Postecoglou has delivered his final message of the season to the Tottenham Hotspur supporters after a campaign in which he brought the club silverware.

Postecoglou delivered Spurs their first European trophy in 41 years as they beat Manchester United in the Europa League final, sparking amazing scenes on the pitch in Bilbao on Wednesday night and then more than 150,000 fans filling the streets of Tottenham on Friday as the team paraded the trophy on an open-topped bus through N17.

Here's the Tottenham head coach's message to the supporters in his final programme notes ahead of the match against Brighton on Sunday in the Premier League.

"Europa League winners. Champions of Europe. Let that sink in for a minute. It sounds pretty incredible, doesn’t It? I'm writing these notes the day after our historic victory over Manchester United in Bilbao," said the Australian.

"Brennan's first half goal was enough to win the game for us and it was an outstanding team performance from back to front - full of character, grit, determination and quality. The scenes that greeted the full-time whistle - and went long into the night ~ will remain forever etched in my memory.

"To see what it meant to the tens of thousands of you packed inside the Estadio de San Mames, and knowing there were hundreds of thousands more watching - in the Bilbao fan zone, at our stadium and tuning in around the world - experiencing exactly the same emotions, shows what a huge achievement it is and a truly special club we represent.

"I've often spoken about my pride in this group of players and staff, especially during testing times - of which there have been plenty this season.

"I didn’t think it was possible, however my love and admiration for them has grown in recent weeks with their drive and commitment to achieve the success that everyone wanted. Their reward is playing in next year’s Champions League and that is something they fully deserve.

"Today is our final Premier League fixture of the season and I should like to welcome Fabian Hurzeler, his players, staff and everyone associated with Brighton & Hove Albion. Fabian has had an impressive first campaign in the Premier League and they come into this match with a chance of qualifying for Europa if results go their way.

"We also want to finish the season on a positive note. We are all too aware that our position in the Premier League and our recent league form is nowhere near where it should be.

"In what has been a challenging season, with some incredible highs and difficult lows, your backing for the team has never wavered. Whether we have been here at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, on the road in the Premier League or on a midweek trip in Europe, you've always been there in great numbers, making yourself heard and championing the club.

"Our success would be nothing without you and I’m delighted that we had the opportunity to share it with you at our trophy parade on Friday. Have a great summer and Come on you Spurs!"

The six players waving goodbye to Tottenham on Sunday but two could end up staying

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It is the end of the Premier League season on Sunday. A wretched campaign for Spurs will come to a close at home to Brighton & Hove Albion at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

But while things have been pretty abysmal in the league, there will be a party atmosphere in N17 after Spurs clinched the Europa League trophy on Wednesday.

There was a parade in front of hundreds of thousands of fans down the High Road on Friday, with the trophy - the club's first in 17 years - set to be on display ahead of kick-off against the Seagulls.

The supporters will gladly wave goodbye to this domestic campaign, with Spurs likely to finish the season in 17th place and just one position above the relegation zone, unless they pick up a final day win and other results go their way.

But as well as waving goodbye to the season, the Lilywhite fans could be saying good bye to six players too.

Three players will definitely be involved for the final time on Sunday, one is 99% certain to be departing after Sunday's match, but there is confusion around two of the six who are set to depart.

As things stand, six players are out of contract at the end of June, meaning the Brighton clash will be their last - if they get on the pitch.

Sergio Reguilon, Alfie Whiteman and Fraser Forster are to leave the club, with no suggestion that any will be given a new contract come July.

Timo Werner's loan from RB Leipzig ends and he will be returning to Germany, but there are two players whose futures are up in the air.

Ben Davies' contract with the club also expires this summer, although football.london understands Spurs will trigger a one-year contract extension for the Welshman to stay. However, there was no official confirmation and as this stand he remains out of contract and set to depart following Sunday's match.

Send your messages of congratulations after Tottenham's Europa League triumph here

Then there is Mathys Tel. Signed on loan from Bayern Munich until the end of the season in the January transfer window, Spurs do have an option to sign the teenager on a permanent deal.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Ange Postecoglou said: "I guess they're the kind of discussions that we start to need to have. But again, without myself gate-crashing meetings, I need to be invited to them, but we'll assess all those things. Matty's done really well for us. We put him in a real difficult position in that as a young player who hadn't played a lot, probably wasn't fit enough, we just threw him straight in but he's handled it really well.

"I think he's been a real important contributor for us and he'll definitely play tomorrow at some point whether he starts or come off the bench. I'm sure those decisions we'll kind of look into post-season."

Daniel Levy delivers Tottenham statement and it's missing one key Ange Postecoglou thing

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Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy has delivered his annual address to the club's supporters and it does not provide the backing for Ange Postecoglou's future that many of the fanbase had hoped for.

Postecoglou brought Spurs their first trophy in 17 years and first European triumph in 41 years as they beat Manchester United in the Europa League final, sparking wild scenes in Bilbao on Wednesday night and then what was thought to be more than 150,000 fans filling the streets of Tottenham on Friday as the team paraded the trophy through N17.

Postecoglou declared to the Spurs supporters: "I’ll leave you with this: all the best television series, season three is better than season two!"

However, the Australian said on Saturday that he had received no update on his future from the club and now Levy's annual communication to the fans shows no backing for the 59-year-old's future either.

"Dear all, We did it. What an unforgettable night it was in Bilbao as we ended our long wait for glory," it read. "This is a huge moment for the whole club, an historic achievement that sees us lift our first European trophy since 1984.

"This club has been on an incredible journey on and off the pitch since we last won silverware, the League Cup, in 2008 – establishing ourselves as one of the biggest in Europe, moving into our new stadium and experiencing some incredible moments – we knew a trophy was the missing piece.

"We’ve come so close on a number of occasions and never quite got over the line – I have never wavered from the belief that success is just around the corner.

"I’d like to thank Ange and the players for making this incredible achievement possible and thanks to all of our amazing staff – there is so much hard work that goes on behind the scenes and this moment is for everyone to enjoy.

"I’d also like to thank you – the fans – for staying with us and carrying that same belief. I know it’s been hard at times and I have shared in that pain and frustration along the way. But when we all come together, we know we can achieve something special.

"Your support – whether that was in Bilbao, in our own stadium or in pubs and homes around the world – was the driving force behind our team. This is one trophy – our clear ambition as a club has always been long-term, sustained success, competing for top honours every year. We have now tasted success and we are determined to use this as a springboard for more.

"Let’s enjoy this moment as a club together, finish the season strong with a win today and go again next year. Most of all, be proud. Come on you Spurs! Daniel"

Thomas Frank already has 'perfect partner' at Tottenham amid links with manager job

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Thomas Frank already has 'perfect partner' at Tottenham amid links with manager job - Football London
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Thomas Frank could already have the ideal partner in place at Tottenham should he take over as manager this summer.

Ange Postecoglou ’s side have endured a turbulent Premier League campaign, currently sitting just above the relegation zone with one game left to play. A long-running injury crisis has played a major role in their inconsistent form, but that hasn’t eased the scrutiny on the Australian, with questions over his future continuing to dominate headlines.

Wednesday night’s historic Europa League triumph in Bilbao, where Spurs defeated Manchester United, has further complicated the situation, with opinion divided on whether Postecoglou is the right man to lead the club forward. Ultimately, the decision will rest with chairman Daniel Levy and the club’s hierarchy.

However, if Spurs opt for change, Brentford boss Frank has been heavily linked as a potential successor. He has been in charge at Brentford since 2018, having previously coached in his native Denmark with Brondby and the national youth teams.

He led the Bees to Premier League promotion in 2021 and has kept them comfortably in the top flight, a feat many promoted clubs fail to manage. If Tottenham do pursue Frank, he would already have a key ally behind the scenes in technical director Johan Lange.

Lange, who joined Spurs in 2023 after previous roles at Aston Villa and FC Copenhagen, shares a longstanding history with Frank. The pair, both Danish, worked together during their early coaching days at Lyngby, a club based in the suburbs of Copenhagen.

Some reports in recent months suggest it is, in fact, Lange who is advocating for Frank’s appointment, having remained a strong admirer of his former colleague’s work. According to The Telegraph, who reported in April that Postecoglou could be on his way out of Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Frank is among the leading candidates should a change be made.

That said, it remains to be seen whether the Europa League victory will earn Postecoglou a stay of execution heading into next season.