Tottenham name Ange Postecoglou as new manager

Bengaluru — Tottenham Hotspur has appointed former Celtic coach Ange Postecoglou as new manager of its team on a four-year contract, the Premier League club said on Tuesday.

He becomes the first Australian to manage a team in the Premier League and will join Spurs on July 1.

“Ange brings a positive mentality and a fast, attacking style of play,” Spurs chair Daniel Levy said in a statement.

“He has a strong track record of developing players and an understanding of the importance of the link from the academy — everything that is important to our club. We are excited to have Ange join us as we prepare for the season ahead.”

The 57-year-old former Australia international, who guided the Scottish Premiership club to a domestic treble this season, will replace Antonio Conte as Spurs’ permanent boss.

After Conte’s acrimonious exit in March, Cristian Stellini and Ryan Mason took interim charge at the north London side. Italian Conte took charge of Spurs in 2021, but became the seventh manager to fail to end their 15-year trophy drought. Spurs last lifted silverware in 2008 when they won the League Cup.

Spurs finished eighth in the league after a dismal campaign and missed European football for the first time since the 2009/10 season. They were linked with Feyenoord’s Arne Slot, Bayer Leverkusen’s Xabi Alonso and former Bayern Munich manager Julian Nagelsmann before landing on Postecoglou.

Mauricio Pochettino, who was sacked by Spurs in November 2019 after leading them to the Champions League final the previous season, had also been linked with a second spell in north London before joining rivals Chelsea.

Postecoglou has enjoyed success pretty much wherever he has coached over the past 26 years. He joined Celtic from Yokohama F Marinos, a J1 League club, in June 2021 on a 12-month rolling contract and helped them reclaim the Scottish Premiership title in his first season. In Japan, he guided Yokohama to their first league title in 15 years in 2019.

His other coaching experiences include spells at Brisbane Roar and Melbourne Victory, as well as a four-year stint with Australia during which he led the Socceroos to the 2014 World Cup and the following year secured their first major title at the Asian Cup.

“This new chapter at Spurs for Ange is a testament to his enduring determination, skill, and vision as a leader,” Football Australia CEO James Johnson said. “It is also a moment of great pride for Australian football.

“[It] highlights this current golden age as we see more of our coaches making an impact on football around the globe and a steady presence of players across European leagues, particularly in Great Britain.”

Reuters