Tottenham paid Brentford £6.7m in compensation to secure the services of Thomas Frank last summer. The head coach was sacked on Wednesday morning, eight months later.
Confirmation that Tottenham paid such a large fee for Frank was revealed in Brentford’s 2024-25 accounts published on Wednesday. Spurs fans called for the Dane to be sacked during and after Tuesday night’s 2-1 home defeat by Newcastle.
Spurs have won twice in 17 Premier League games and are 16th, five points above the relegation zone.
Brentford’s accounts, which show a record turnover of £173m, reveal the expense Tottenham incurred in appointing Frank last summer after sacking Ange Postecoglou weeks after winning the Europa League.
A note on the club’s other operating income refers to £6.7m received in a settlement agreement “in relation to guaranteed compensation receivable in relation to the departure of on-field staff”.
Although Frank is not named, the figure is understood to relate to Tottenham’s compensation payment for the head coach and his coaching staff Justin Cochrane, Chris Haslam and Joe Newton, who also left for Tottenham.
Frank signed a three-year contract at Spurs and sacking him will have cost the club millions more in compensation.
Brentford’s accounts show increased turnover as a result of finishing 10th in the Premier League last season, although because of increased player costs their operating losses increased to £40m.
Brentford reported a £27m profit on player sales without including fees received last summer for Bryan Mbeumo, Yoanne Wissa and Christian Nørgaard, which took place after the accounting period. In another sign of the club’s recent progress under the owner Matthew Benham they have entered the Deloitte Money League for the first time, ranked 30th.
