Tottenham Hotspur have appointed former Celtic coach Ange Postecoglou as their new manager on a four-year contract, the English Premier League club confirmed.
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 chairman Daniel Levy said in a statement on Tuesday.
“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 ex-Australia international, who guided the Scottish Premiership club Celtic to a domestic treble this season, will replace Antonio Conte as Spurs’ permanent boss.
The club were linked with Feyenoord’s Arne Slot, Bayer Leverkusen’s Xabi Alonso and former Bayern Munich manager Julian Nagelsmann before landing on Postecoglou.
We are delighted to announce the appointment of Ange Postecoglou as our new Head Coach on a four-year contract 🤍
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) June 6, 2023
Tough job ahead
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.
Following Conte’s acrimonious exit in March, Cristian Stellini and Ryan Mason took interim charge at the north London side.
They finished eighth in the league after a dismal campaign and missed European football for the first time since the 2009-10 season.
As well as managerial instability, Tottenham has also lost managing director of football Fabio Paratici after he lost his appeal against a 30-month ban for his part in a false accounting scandal involving former club Juventus.
Levy is under pressure from supporters to get his latest appointment right, with the continuing trophy drought leading to growing unrest.
Levy’s change of strategy – bringing in proven trophy winners in Mourinho and Conte, who are largely pragmatic, defensive-first coaches – did not work, so it appears he has gone back to his former approach of hiring a manager who plays more expansive football and promotes younger players.
One of Postecoglou’s first jobs at his new club may be to try to convince Harry Kane that his future remains at Spurs.
The England striker has one year left on his contract and has been linked with moves to Manchester United and Real Madrid this summer.
Kane became Spurs’ all-time leading scorer this season when surpassing club great Jimmy Greaves’ record of 266 goals. He also set a new record for his country, with 55 goals.
He has scored 213 Premier League goals and is closing in on Alan Shearer’s all-time record of 260.
‘Pride’ for Australian football
Postecoglou has enjoyed success pretty much wherever he has coached over the last 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 told Reuters news agency.
“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.”
