Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou strongly reacted to being labelled a “clown” in a recent report, defending his career and record at the club.
The incident occurred during a press conference leading up to the Europa League final, where Spurs are set to face Manchester United in Bilbao on Wednesday.
Postecoglou and the squad travelled to Bilbao earlier this week and trained at the Estadio de San Mames. The Australian coach has been under increasing pressure in recent months. According to reports, he is expected to leave the club this summer, irrespective of the final`s outcome.
A report in The Standard newspaper described Postecoglou as “teetering between hero and clown” with his Tottenham legacy on the line, ahead of the game in Spain.
Addressing reporter Dan Kilpatrick directly during a tense press conference on Tuesday, Postecoglou stated, “I`ll tell you one thing, irrespective of tomorrow, I`m not a clown and never will be.”
He expressed his disappointment that such terminology was used to describe a person who “for 26 years, without any favours from anyone, has worked his way to a position where he is leading out a club in a European final.”
The former Australia and Celtic boss emphasised his hard work at Spurs, a club that hasn`t won a trophy since 2008, and European silverware since 1984.
“I`ve tried as hard as I can to stick to that process in getting the club to a position where they can challenge for trophies and at the same time, rejuvenate the squad and change the playing style,” he declared.
Postecoglou acknowledged that it “has been a fair assignment with plenty of challenges along the way.”
He added, “With such a big game tomorrow, there is an opportunity to fulfil at least the main task I was given which was to bring trophies to the club.”
Regarding squad availability for the final, Postecoglou confirmed that midfielder Lucas Bergvall would not be fit to face United. James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski are also unavailable.
