Tottenham Hotspur are facing internal chaos after chairman Daniel Levy’s surprise decision to sack head coach Ange Postecoglou just two weeks after the club’s Europa League triumph.
According to The Telegraph, that move has sparked outrage among the players, many of whom were close to the Australian head coach.
Postecoglou marked his second anniversary at Tottenham with the club’s first major trophy since 2008 and their first European success in over four decades.
However, his success wasn’t enough to earn him a third season, as Spurs decided to cut him loose after an internal review.
Tottenham’s Europa League win also got them back into the Champions League, but the club justified their decision by pointing to their miserable Premier League campaign.
The north Londoners finished 17th in the Premier League after failing to hit the 40-point mark.
For context, only the relegated clubs had a worse record than the Premier League heavy-hitters, yet Postecoglou’s dismissal hasn’t gone down well with the dressing room.
A number of key players, including team leaders Son Heung-min and Cristian Romero, were said to be stunned by the decision.
Son has already hinted that he could end his decade-long spell with Spurs this summer, with clubs in Saudi Arabia circling, while Romero is the subject of serious interest from Atletico Madrid.
Others like Pedro Porro and James Maddison had also thrown their weight behind the manager after making history in Bilbao, but it didn’t count for much in the grand scheme of things.
The players are reportedly “furious”, and there are claims that the next manager will find it difficult to get the squad pulling in the same direction.
Postecoglou’s exit could be the start of an open-heart surgery at Tottenham this summer.
Chief football officer Scott Munn will follow him through the exit, and a number of high-profile players could also explore opportunities elsewhere.
Brentford’s Thomas Frank is believed to be the primary target to replace Postecoglou, but Fulham’s Marco Silva is also in the mix.