Ange Postecoglou was in a defiant mood after guiding Tottenham Hotspur to a Europa League semifinal, with the Australian making a very interesting comment about his own future in the post-match press conference.
Spurs dug deep and delivered a performance which was full of fight and character to return with a 1-0 win from Eintracht Frankfurt, which was enough to seal the progression to the final four at the Bundesliga side’s expense.
Heading into the game, the Tottenham boss was under immense pressure as it was widely reported that Postecoglou could be sacked immediately if Spurs exited the Europa League.
It was clear from the celebrations of the 59-year-old and his staff after the full-time whistle just what the win meant, and the Spurs boss was certainly not going to take things lying down in the post-match press conference after his future had been repeatedly put under the scanner.
Ange Postecoglou appears to confirm Tottenham stay… for now
It remains to be seen how long the former Celtic boss will last in the hot seat, as reports indicate that a managerial change is likely at Tottenham this summer.
However, Postecoglou lives to fight another day for the time being and has moved one step closer to becoming the first Tottenham manager since Juande Ramos to win a trophy at the club.
The Spurs boss said after his side’s 1-0 win at Deutsche Bank Park (via ESPN): “Unfortunately, you guys are going to have to put up with me for just a little bit longer. I’m delighted with many things. I’m super proud of the lads — away from home in a quarterfinal against a very good side.
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“We needed to score tonight and show the quality we have and to a man, they were outstanding in such a big game. We’ve earned the right to be in the semi.
“I’m the same manager today that I was yesterday, so if anyone thinks I’m a better coach, I don’t care. It doesn’t affect what I do. Do the players believe in me and do the staff believe in me, that’s all that matters.”
Is Spurs’ name written on the Europa League trophy?
Not only did Spurs manage to eliminate one of the strongest teams remaining in the competition in Eintracht Frankfurt, but the semifinal draw has also been very kind to Tottenham.
They now have a huge opportunity to seal their place in the final in Bilbao, and given all the struggles the team has endured this season, lifting the trophy will be extremely sweet indeed.
Everything that could go wrong has gone wrong at Spurs this season, which is why the players might start believing that the trophy has their name on it.