Ange Postecoglou has been sacked by Nottingham Forest following the side’s 3-0 defeat by Chelsea at the City Ground.
The Australian’s dismissal – 39 days after his appointment on 9 September – means Postecoglou’s stint at Forest is the shortest permanent managerial reign in Premier League history.
The former Tottenham boss failed to win any of his eight matches in charge of Forest, with two draws and six defeats across all competitions.
Forest collected just one point from Postecoglou’s five Premier League matches in charge, leaving the side one point above the relegation zone in 17th.
“Nottingham Forest Football Club can confirm that after a series of disappointing results and performances, Ange Postecoglou has been relieved of his duties as head coach with immediate effect,” a Forest statement read.
“The club will make no further comment at this time.”
The due diligence already completed towards Postecoglou’s possible replacement provides a clear indication of the jeopardy the Australian faces.
It would be hard for any manager to change the direction of travel in these circumstances.
Of course, Postecoglou will back himself to turn it around. That’s his nature.
Speaking in his pre-match news conference on Friday, he said: “Some look at the weeds but I look at what is growing. I am really excited as I have a group of young players willing to change.
“I just don’t fit, not here, just in general. If you look at it through the prism of ‘I’m a failed manager who’s lucky to get this job’ then of course this first five weeks looks like ‘this guy’s under pressure’. There is an alternative story that you could look at it.”
Owner Marinakis wants him to succeed, having backed Postecoglou’s track record of winning silverware as one of the key factors in why he appointed him in the first place.
Indeed, prior to their previous Premier League outing against Newcastle – that resulted in a 2-0 loss – well-placed sources told BBC Sport Postecoglou still maintained the immediate backing of the Forest owner.
There was, though, recognition that the result and manner of performance at St James’ Park would have a key influence on how Marinakis viewed his manager’s future.
Likewise, there is a feeling Postecoglou has not been helped by refereeing decisions.
For instance, during the Europa League defeat by FC Midtjylland – during which supporters turned on Postecoglou – earlier this month, there was a feeling as many as 14 key decisions went against Forest.
But with that said, the internal scrutiny on Postecoglou is intense.
Victory over Chelsea could mean he takes the first step towards what appears an unlikely road to recovery at Forest.
Lose the game, and the writing is already on the wall.
Bayern Munich might join the race for Marc Guehi, Crystal Palace plan to offer Adam Wharton a new contract, and Napoli target loan move for Kobbie Mainoo.
Bayern Munich are interested in Crystal Palace’s 25-year-old England defender Marc Guehi, who is out of contract at the end of the season and had a deadline-day move to Liverpool collapse last month. (Sky Germany – in German), external
Crystal Palace plan to offer Adam Wharton a new contract to try to ward off interest from Liverpool, Chelsea and ManchesterCity in the 21-year-old England midfielder. (Mail), external
Napoli are in pole position to sign Manchester United and England midfielder Kobbie Mainoo, 20, on loan in January after maintaining contact with the Premier League club since the summer. (Sky Switzerland – in French), external
Eintracht Frankfurt are targeting a January loan move for Newcastle and Denmark striker William Osula, 22. (Sky Sports), external
Fulham manager Marco Silva is a long-term target for Nottingham Forest should they sack Ange Postecoglou, though an approach for the Portuguese is unlikely to happen before the end of the season. (Mail), external
Manchester United believe defender Lisandro Martinez, 27, might return from his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury before the end of the year. The Argentine has not played for the club in eight months. (Sun), external
Barcelona might make a move next summer for Borussia Dortmund and Germany forward Karim Adeyemi, 23, with his contract at the Bundesliga ending in 2027. (Sky Switzerland – in French), external
Manchester City have no intention of selling Spain midfielder Rodri, 29, to Real Madrid for any price. (Teamtalk), external
Manchester United see Aston Villa manager Unai Emery as the perfect replacement for Ruben Amorim should they sack the Portuguese coach. (Fichajes – in Spanish), external
Real Madrid are unlikely to sanction a January move for Turkey midfielder Arda Guler, 20, despite interest from Arsenal and Newcastle. (Football Insider), external
Barcelona and Juventus have concrete plans to sign Manchester City’s Portugal midfielder Bernardo Silva, 31, while Saudi Arabian clubs Al-Ahli, Al-Qadsiah and Al-Nassr are preparing substantial offers for a player whose contract ends in 2026. (Caught Offside), external
Match of the Day’s Joe Hart talks about his experience playing under Ange Postecoglou at Celtic to explain why he should be given more time at Nottingham Forest despite a winless start.
Postecoglou’s other two games saw him draw against Burnley and Real Betis.
However, he maintains he is not thinking about an exit and is hopeful of getting a result against Newcastle.
Ange Postecoglou jokingly makes dig at Marinakis as new boss opens up on Nottingham Forest trophy hopes
Postecoglou said on Friday: “I get it. It’s a valid assumption in modern football there’s always a manager under pressure, that’s part and parcel of what we do.
“I don’t think that way. I knew I was getting sacked at Tottenham three or four months before I did.
“It didn’t stop me winning something. It doesn’t enter my head. If I start worrying about what’s going to happen next week, I’m not performing the role I’ve been given.
“It’s not helpful to anyone. The things I control are the environment training, the way we play. I am strong in my belief we are not too far away.”
Ange Postecoglou says his Nottingham Forest players got too “comfortable” after Championship side Swansea scored twice in stoppage time to knock them out of the Carabao Cup.
Two first-half goals from Igor Jesus had put the Premier League side firmly in control of their third-round tie.
However, a Cameron Burgess goal gave the Swans hope and, in a stunning finale, Zan Vipotnik levelled before Australia international Burgess scored his second to send the 2013 winners into the last 16.
“We had to finish them off and we had plenty of opportunities to do that, and a couple of decisions didn’t go our way,” said Forest boss Postecoglou.
“I think the lads got a bit comfortable in that moment and you’ve got to know the warning signs.
“Players just thought it would naturally finish that way and we’ve paid a heavy price for that. We need to improve.”
The former Spurs boss had promised this would be the night fans started to see his imprint on the side he inherited from Nuno Espirito Santo at the City Ground.
Instead, Forest conceded three for a second game in a row under Postecoglou, who added: “Tonight was a great opportunity for us to progress in a cup and give ourselves an opportunity to that success – and to let it slip is hugely disappointing.
“But it doesn’t change anything – we understand some of the things we have to work on.”
ARSENAL welcome Nottingham Forest to the Emirates for Saturday’s early kick-off.
The Tricky Trees have appointed Ange Postecoglou to replace Nuno Espirito Santo after the Portuguese gaffer was brutally sacked at the start of the week.
The former Tottenham manager will be looking to get off to a winning start away at his side’s former archrivals.
Arsenal are hoping to get back to winning ways after they suffered their first defeat of the season to Liverpool before the international break.
Towards the end of his spell at Tottenham, Ange Postecoglou was embattled, despite guiding Spurs to the Europa League final.
After beating Bodo/Glimt in Norway in May, he was combative in response to questions about whether winning the competition would save Spurs’ season.
Those who have worked with him feel that was down to the pressure. He dealt with it by firing back to his critics and doubters.
Fast forward to now, and the 60-year-old was relaxed in the City Ground press room, joking about how his birthday celebrations at the weekend were interrupted by negotiations with Forest and how the school run was the best motivator to return to work.
But there was the importance of winning – and winning trophies. It will not have escaped anyone’s attention owner Evangelos Marinakis referenced winning trophies in his statement announcing Postecoglou’s arrival.
So the pressure at Forest will be there – maybe not to the extent it was at Spurs – but he has been brought to the City Ground to progress the team and club.
Forest have not spent £180m this summer and installed Postecoglou in order to go backwards after last season’s seventh-place finish.
While winning the Premier League is out of reach, the Europa League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup will all be seen as legitimate targets.
Forest have not won a major trophy since lifting the League Cup in 1990.
Postecoglou has pedigree. He has won trophies throughout his career, including two Scottish titles with Celtic and the Asian Cup with Australia, and there will be an immediate expectation for Forest to challenge for silverware again.
BBC Sport’s Chris Sutton says Ange Postecoglou will have learned from his time at Tottenham and will adapt his playing style to suit the squad at Nottingham Forest after being named manager.
Spurs lost 22 of their 38 league matches last season, accumulating only 38 points as they finished 17th – their worst finish in the Premier League.
They conceded 65 goals, with only Wolves and the relegated trio of Leicester, Ipswich and Southampton shipping more.
But Postecoglou led the club to a first major trophy in 17 years with a 1-0 win over Manchester United in the Europa League final.
The victory secured Champions League football, but it was not enough to keep Postecoglou in a job and he was sacked by the club 16 days later.
Spurs, who appointed Thomas Frank as his successor, said Postecoglou would be remembered for delivering “one of the club’s greatest moments” in becoming only the third manager to win them a European trophy.
Tottenham finished fifth in his first season in charge before he kept his promise to provide silverware in his second year.
Postecoglou was initially praised for the attacking style he implemented, but he was forced to defend himself from criticism for sticking to his principles and had to contend with a catalogue of injuries to key players.
Brentford finished 2024-25 with more points than Tottenham (56 compared with 38), more goals (66-64) and fewer goals conceded (57-65).
In addition, Mbeumo (20), Wissa (19) and Kevin Schade (11) scored 50 goals between them after Frank was forced to adapt following the departure of Toney – 36 goals in 83 top-flight appearances for the Bees – to Saudi Pro League club Al-Ahli.
There have been many different versions of Brentford though since Frank first took charge. High-possession football, more counter-attacks, more percentage football – Frank has played them all, leading to many seeing him as one of the game’s more adaptive coaches.
From attacking flair and bravery, to at times being more pragmatic, what will Spurs look like under Frank?
“It’s a surprisingly difficult question to answer because he’s a really flexible manager,” said football tactics writer Alex Keble.
“He will automatically adapt his tactics to whoever the opposition is, a bit like Unai Emery at Aston Villa.
“In many ways he’s the opposite of Ange Postecoglou, who is famously wedded to one idea.
“There’s a statistic – what Opta call 10+ – referring to the number of passes and sequences [in one move]. In 2023-24 Brentford registered 245. In 2024-25 that figure was 325.
“That tells you as time has gone on, Frank has wanted to play a more possession-based game. There’s certainly plenty of counter-attacks, fast transitions and plenty of highly choreographed long balls forward – direct football.”
Who are the Tottenham players who could benefit from the arrival of Frank, a manager who pays great attention to stats?
“You can certainly imagine Dominic Solanke linking with Wilson Odobert in a way Wissa and Mbeumo interact,” added Keble.
“Defensively, Tottenham are least like Brentford. Would Frank look at the Spurs squad and think ‘I can’t play Brentford football here?'”
Spurs fans struggled to buy into the brand of football under recent managers Jose Mourinho and Conte. Will they take to the Frank style?
“I think the way he played at Brentford was quite balanced – they had different ways of playing, depending on the opposition,” added Sutton.
“His Brentford team played good football at a high intensity, but ultimately fans take to managers when they win games, and that is it.
“I do think he has got different strings to his bow, but it will be interesting to see what Tottenham do recruitment-wise this summer.”
Former Tottenham midfielder Danny Murphy is another to praise Frank’s flexible approach.
“They had a great intensity and physicality about them,” Murphy told BBC Sport about Brentford last season. “They vary their game as well as any other team in the Premier League.”
ANGE POSTECOGLOU sent a heartwarming text message to Tottenham midfielder Yves Bissouma.
The Aussie boss wassacked on Friday – just 16 days after leading Spurs to their first trophy in 17 years as they beatManchester Unitedin theEuropa Leaguefinal.
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Ange Postecoglou was sacked by Tottenham on Friday
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Spurs midfielder Yves Bissouma has revealed his private WhatsApp exchange with Postecoglou
Many of the Tottenham squad – including captainSon Heung-minandJames Maddison– were quick to post emotional messages of gratitude to Postecoglou.
And Bissouma has now revealed his own WhatsApp exchange with his former manager onSnapchat.
The conversation begins with Postecoglou writing: “Hi Biss. Sorry I missed your call. I am very proud of you.
“It was an honour to share a dressing room with you and appreciate how much you believed in what we were trying to achieve.
“I wish you only the best for the future. I will always be following. Much love from my family to yours.’
Bissouma replied just over an hour later with: “Thank you gaffer and thank you really much for everything on and off the pitch I’ll always be grateful.
“The way you believed me and trusted me was incredible. I’m gonna miss you but it’s football life.
“Got a lot to be said but I think you know what I’m thinking about you already so I’m just wishing you all the best for the future and may God protect you and your family. #bigboss love.”
The exchange ended with the 59-year-old responding: “Always by your side Biss 🙏.”
BBC star shares shock theory as to why Tottenham waited exactly 16 days after Europa League win to sack Ange Postecoglou
Bissouma was one of the best players on the pitch during Spurs’ Europa League final win 16 days before Postecoglou was axed, and has the former Celtic boss saved as ‘Big Ange’ in his phone.
Ange Postecoglou spoke of his intense pride at his two-year stint as Tottenham Hotspur manager after it ended with him being sacked by the Premier League club.
The 59-year-old Australian took the club to their first trophy for 17 years last month when Tottenham beat Manchester United to win the Europa League.
But the club axed him on Friday after their worst top-flight campaign since 1976-77, finishing one place above the Premier League’s relegation zone after losing 22 games.
“When I reflect on my time as Manager of Tottenham Hotspur my overriding emotion is one of pride,” he said in a statement released shortly after his dismissal was confirmed.
“The opportunity to lead one of England’s historic football clubs and bring back the glory it deserves will live with me for a lifetime. Sharing that experience with all those who truly love this club and seeing the impact it had on them is something I will never forget.
“That night in Bilbao was the culmination of two years of hard work, dedication and unwavering belief in a dream. There were many challenges to overcome and plenty of noise that comes with trying to accomplish what many said was not possible.”
Postecoglou spoke in the build-up to the Europa League final about changing the way the club is perceived, and he said his accomplishments should ensure that Tottenham will not have to wait so long for their next trophy.
“We have laid foundations that mean this club should not have to wait 17 more years for their next success,” he said. “I have enormous faith in this group of players and know there is much more potential and growth in them.”
While Tottenham fans were split over Postecoglou’s future, he had a message for the supporters.
“I sincerely want to thank those who are the lifeblood of the club, the supporters,” he said. “I know there were some difficult times but I always felt that they wanted me to succeed and that gave me all the motivation I needed to push on.
“And finally, I want to thank those who were with me every day for the last two years. A fantastic group of young men who are now legends of this football club and the brilliant coaches who never once doubted we could do something special. We are forever connected.”
Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou with his players before the trophy lift after winning the Europa League Final [Andrew Couldridge/File Photo/Reuters]
The 59-year-old ultimately paid the price for a horrendous Premier League season, which saw Tottenham finish 17th.
“The Board has unanimously concluded that it is in the best interests of the Club for a change to take place,” Tottenham said in a statement.
“Following a positive start in the 2023/24 Premier League (PL) season, we recorded 78 points from the last 66 PL games. This culminated in our worst-ever PL finish last season.”
Postecoglou leaves two years to the day after his appointment and 16 days after his side beat Manchester United 1-0 in Bilbao for the club’s first silverware since 2008, a win that also put them in next season’s Champions League.
The former Celtic manager has had to face questions over his future for several months, yet delivered on his claim early last season that he always wins a trophy in his second season in a job.
He also took Tottenham to the League Cup semifinal, but their league campaign was their worst since the last time the club suffered relegation from the top flight, in 1976-77.
Several of the club’s first team have voiced their support for Postecoglou since beating United, but chairman Daniel Levy is now searching for his fifth full-time manager in six years since Mauricio Pochettino was sacked in 2019.
“At times there were extenuating circumstances — injuries and then a decision to prioritise our European campaign,” the club said. “Whilst winning the Europa League this season ranks as one of the Club’s greatest moments, we cannot base our decision on emotions aligned to this triumph.”
Several managers have been linked to the Tottenham job, including Brentford’s Thomas Frank and Crystal Palace’s Oliver Glasner.
Postecoglou will walk away with his pride intact and a handsome bonus, but his recent comment to fans at the Europa League victory parade that the third season of a TV series is always better than the second now looks hollow.
It all started so well for Postecoglou. He began the 2023-24 campaign by guiding Tottenham to their best start to a top-flight season since the 1961 title-winning team.
That form soon dipped, and despite finishing fifth in his first campaign, the momentum had long since gone.
This season, Tottenham earned only 38 points and lost 22 top-flight matches. They managed five points from their last 12 league games, and the only win they earned during that run was against a Southampton side who narrowly avoided becoming statistically the worst team ever in the Premier League.
Postecoglou has pointed to a long injury list, which denied him the likes of Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Dejan Kulusevski, Destiny Udogie, Dominic Solanke, James Maddison and Son Heung-min for significant periods.
But while it has clearly been one of long-serving chairman Levy’s toughest calls, he has concluded that Postecoglou is not the man to lead the club forward.
“We have made what we believe is the right decision to give us the best chance of success going forward, not the easy decision,” the club statement said.
“We have a talented, young squad and Ange has given us a great platform to build upon. We should like to express our gratitude to him. We wish him well for the future — he will always be welcome back at our home.”
Tottenham’s decision to sack the man who guided them to a first trophy since 2008 will divide opinion across their fanbase.
He becomes the fourth Spurs manager – after Jose Mourinho, Nuno Espirito Santo and Antonio Conte – to lose his job since Pochettino was sacked in November 2019, less than four months after taking them to the Champions League final.
Postecoglou’s reign began in spectacular fashion, despite the exit of the club’s all-time leading scorer Harry Kane to Bayern Munich.
Spurs set the pace in the early stages of the 2023-24 Premier League season by taking 26 points from their first 10 games, with former Australia boss Postecoglou winning three consecutive manager of the month awards.
But five defeats in their final seven matches cost them a spot in the Champions League 12 months ago, and things continued to unravel – Europe aside – in 2024-25.
Postecoglou, who was initially praised for the attacking style he implemented, was forced to defend himself from criticism for sticking to his principles and had to contend with a catalogue of injuries to key players.
Aside from their run to the Carabao Cup semi-finals, where they were thrashed 4-0 by Liverpool after taking a slender one-goal lead to Anfield, they have struggled in domestic competition.
Since 6 November 2023, Spurs have collected 78 points from 66 top-flight games – the 16th best record in the Premier League.
They scored 64 goals last season – as many as fourth-placed Chelsea, and more than Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest in sixth and seventh – but conceded 65, with only Wolves and the relegated trio of Leicester, Ipswich and Southampton shipping more.
Ange Postecoglou says his team have had an “outstanding” season by winning the Europa League and qualifying for the Champions League, depite their 4-1 defeat by Brighton leaving Tottenham finishing the Premier League campaign in 17th place.
Tottenham’s victory sparked emotional scenes among their fans, with the club set to have an open-top bus parade on Friday before their final Premier League game of the season at home to Brighton.
By winning the Europa League, Spurs will also have a chance to win the Uefa Super Cup when they face the Champions League winners, either Inter Milan or Paris-St Germain, on 13 August in Italy.
However, whether Postecoglou is still in charge of the club then is unknown.
“I would be disappointed if we don’t continue on this path,” he added in the post-match news conference. “It is difficult to buy into one person’s vision. I have been a serial winner. I know people dismiss what I have won because it didn’t happen here, but they were hard earned.
“There is huge relief. You carry the weight of responsibility and 150 times I have been a spokesman for this club.
“There are no planned meetings. I’ll go back to my hotel room with friends and family, open up a nice bottle of scotch, a massive parade on Friday, game on Sunday against Brighton and then holiday. Then que sera, sera.”
Postecoglou joined Tottenham in June 2023, having won five trophies in two seasons at Celtic, including back-to-back Scottish Premiership titles.
In September, he said he “always wins things in his second season,” a statement which was true when he had been in charge of clubs for two full seasons.
He maintained that record in Bilbao and said: “People misinterpreted me. It was not me boasting, just me making a declaration and I believed it. I had this thing inside me more than anything else.
“I know our league form has been unacceptable, but coming third was not going to change this football club, winning a trophy would, that was my ambition and I was prepared to wear it if it did not happen.
“People kept reminding me of it because we were getting closer but I’m happy with that.”
Final Score presenter Jason Mohammad and pundits Chris Sutton, Stephen Warnock and Anita Asante discuss whether – win or lose in the Europa League final on Wednesday – Ange Postecoglou will be at Tottenham next season.
That suspension ends at the end of next month, freeing him up to come back to his role at Spurs.
Paratici will have an influence on who Tottenham go for next in the dugout provided there is no emotional U-turn on Postecoglou if he is triumphant in Europe.
That is not expected to happen given the team’s disastrous league campaign.
Spurs have racked up a record 21 defeats and are languishing in 17th place.
Paratici is understood to have close ties to Simone Inzaghi.
But the Inter Milan chief is set to stick with the Champions League finalists next season.
Tottenham midfielder Yves Bissouma has thanked manager Ange Postecoglou for protecting the squad amid their disappointing season, describing him like “a dad or uncle for us”.
Spurs are 17th in the Premier League table with one game remaining and have suffered 25 defeats across all competitions – their joint-highest since the 1991-92 season.
They have an opportunity to salvage their season with the Europa League final against Manchester United on Wednesday, and Mali midfielder Bissouma says the relationship between the players and the manager has remained strong throughout the season.
“It’s never changed, never changed. We have a good relationship,” Bissouma, 28, said of Postecoglou.
“He’s like a dad or uncle for us. He’s always trying to make us understand what he really wants.
“For us, he’s Ange, he’s him. He’s got his idea. He’s trying to help us every time. He’s always protecting us.”
Bissouma added that Postecoglou’s style was difficult to grasp at the beginning of his tenure in 2023, but he said the Australian has never put any blame on the players.
Injuries have plagued Tottenham’s season but they were boosted by the return of captain Son Heung-min in Friday’s defeat by Aston Villa.
They beat AZ Alkmaar, Eintracht Frankfurt and Bodo/Glimt to set up the European final against fellow Premier League strugglers United.
Ange Postecoglou has signalled he will rest key players when Tottenham play Aston Villa on Friday as he “can’t afford to lose another” to injury with the Europa League final less than a week away.
Midfielder Dejan Kulusevski has become the latest first-team regular to suffer an injury that will rule him out of Wednesday’s final in Bilbao against Manchester United.
Fellow midfielders Lucas Bergvall and James Maddison are both also set to miss the final, while defender Radu Dragusin is a long-term injury absentee after suffering a serious knee injury in February.
Head coach Postecoglou rested several players against Crystal Palace last weekend.
Plans to field his strongest side against Villa to “sharpen up” for the Bilbao trip may now have to be scrapped.
“The reality of our existence at the moment is we can’t lose another player to an injury,” Postecoglou said. “It’s just too finely balanced for us considering what’s at stake.
“Look, in a normal world you use this to be sharpening up, but we’re not living in a normal world.
“Even with the best planning we’re still getting hit with these setbacks. From my perspective I’ve got to take that into account when considering the [Aston Villa] game.”
He may take the opportunity to try new combinations in midfield.
“We’ve always had to try to find creative ways to cover the absences we’ve had and we’ll find a way to do that again,” Postecoglou said.
“There’s obviously a few players who will play [on Friday] who haven’t played regularly or a lot lately who will get an opportunity.”
Spurs are 17th in the Premier League table – one place above the relegation zone but out of danger, and one behind United in 16th.
Both Europa League final sides have endured dismal domestic league campaigns but the winner next Wednesday will qualify for next season’s Champions League.
Tottenham have not won a trophy since lifting the League Cup in 2008.
