JOSE MOURINHO has been SACKED as Tottenham manager.
The Portuguese boss and Spurs have parted ways just six days before the EFL Cup final this weekend.
Follow ALL of the latest updates below…
KEANE DEFENCE
Roy Keane backed Jose Mourinho as he insisted he needed more time at Tottenham and was more critical of the players.
Keane said: “He’s got a great record, he’s come into this side to compete; finishing sixth or seventh is not what they’ve employed him for.
“Jose has always had brilliant defenders, proper midfielders in terms of mindset. But Spurs aren’t strong enough. They’re not good enough to keep it tight behind Kane and Son.
“If he still has this mindset of getting our noses in front, sit back and hold onto leads, this team defensively – and I’m including the goalkeeper – aren’t good enough.
“These lads here are nowhere near as good enough defensively as what he’s had at his previous clubs. Lack of leaders, lack of characters, not good enough defensively.
“It’s a lot of things going into the mix and it’s not an easy fix. But I think his CV warrants staying longer in the job”
MORE ON MOURINNHO’S DISMISSAL
There were too many unhappy faces on the training ground which Levy patrols daily.
They are believed to have included skipper Hugo Lloris and striker Harry Kane.
Both of whom had been staunchly behind Mourinho, but even the France and England captains are believed to have become concerned by Mourinho’s actions.
After the 58-year-old’s exit was confirmed, Kane tweeted: “Thank you for everything Boss. A pleasure to have worked together. I wish you all the best for your next chapter.”
Under previous boss Mauricio Pochettino, Tottenham’s training Enfield HQ had become a place where all members of staff, including execs, cleaners and multi-million pound football celebrities greeted each other with a handshake and a “Good morning.”
Now it was threatening to become an environment where players and colleagues could not even look each other in the eyes.
NO MOUR
Jose Mourinho was spotted for the first time since his Tottenham sacking leaving the club’s training ground on Monday.
The Special One was given his marching orders by Daniel Levy in a shock announcement this morning, just six days before the Carabao Cup final against Manchester City.
And Mourinho was pictured leaving Spurs’ Enfield base in the passenger seat of a car following the stunning news.
The former Chelsea and Manchester United tactician was only appointed by Tottenham in November 2019 following Mauricio Pochettino’s exit.
Mourinho managed the capital club for 86 games but struggled to make an impression in the Premier League or Europe.
Spurs are currently seventh in the table, one place lower than where they finished last season.
MOUR THAN MEETS THE EYE
Jose Mourinho was axed as Tottenham boss after a players’ revolt.
The Special One’s 17-month reign in charge at Spurs came to an end when he was sacked this morning – just six days before they face Manchester City in the Carabao Cup Final at Wembley.
But while it was Daniel Levy who did the firing, it was the club’s playing stars who supplied the bullets after several of them went to see their chairman to complain about the Special One’s tactics and methods, which had raised an increasing number of eyebrows in their dressing room in recent weeks.
Senior squad members had bitten their lips after becoming accustomed to the way Mourinho treated and ignored those not in his plans with absolute contempt.
But they could stay silent no longer when he tried to throw them under the bus and blame them for Tottenham’s failure to win the Europa League and close in on a top-four finish.
And when first-team regulars who had previously been “Mourinho loyalists” started to voice their concerns, Levy simply had to act.
READ MORE ON THE INSIDE OF MOURINHO’S SACKING HERE
PLAYER BANS CONFIRMED
Fabrizio Romano reports that UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin has confirmed that players who perform in the European Super League will be banned from the World Cup and Euros.
That means anyone from the Premier League’s “big six” that breaks away won’t be allowed to play of their national teams.
There had been speculation of potential sanctions towards the sides involved with the proposed format, which Ceferin described as “disgraceful”.
The UEFA President also said the ESL poses as a “spit in the face ” of all football fans
MORE FROM CEFERIN
UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin described the European Super League project as “disgraceful”.
Ceferin also said the ESL poses as a “spit in the face” for all football fans around the world.
The UEFA President said: “I cannot stress more strongly UEFA and the footballing world are united against the disgraceful, self-serving proposals we have seen, fuelled purely by greed. It’s a nonsense of a project.
“This idea is a spit in the face for all football lovers and our society. We will not allow them to take this away from us”
PREMIER LEAGUE SET MEETING
The Premier League are going to hold a meeting with 14 clubs on Tuesday morning.
That means the “big six”, which are Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham, who are involved in the proposed European Super League project won’t be included.
The representatives involved will talk about the ongoing situation and the next steps.
The meeting will be chaired by Premier League CEO Richard Masters
CEFERIN LASHES OUT
UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin has strongly criticised Manchester United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward and Juventus chairman Andrea Agnelli following the European Super League proposition, which includes Tottenham.
Ceferin said: “I was a criminal lawyer for 24 years but I’ve never, ever, seen people like that.
“If I start with Ed Woodward, he called me last Thursday, saying that he’s very satisfied with reforms and he fully supports them. Obviously, he already signed something else.
“Andrea Agnelli is the biggest disappointment of all. I’ve never seen a person lie so many times as he did, it was unbelievable”
WHY MOURINHO LEFT
There have been rumours suggesting that Jose Mourinho was fired by Tottenham because of the club’s involvement in the controversial European Super League.
According to Football London, however, that sort of speculation is wide of the mark.
It is instead reported that Mourinho was dismissed because of poor results and the lack of improvement.
Spurs have become the first ever club in which the Portuguese manager doesn’t win anything but he was on course of challenging for the Carabao Cup on Sunday against Manchester City
KANE REACTS
Tottenham superstar Harry Kane has responded to Jose Mourinho’s dismissal.
Kane took to Twitter and thanked Mourinho “for everything” and wished him the best in his future endeavours.
The England captain tweeted: “Thank you for everything Boss. A pleasure to have worked together.
“I wish you all the best for your next chapter”
MOURINHO NEXT CLUB
Jose Mourinho has officially left Tottenham just six days before the Carabao Cup Final against Manchester City.
And now Mourinho will be looking for his next destination after some impressive stints at Chelsea, Manchester United, Inter Milan, Real Madrid and Porto.
Here is what Betfair thinks about the Portuguese manager’s future:
- Juventus 6/1
- Portugal National Team 11/2
- Any MLS Team 11/2
- Porto 8/1
- England national team 10/1
- Celtic 12/1
- PSG 12/1
- Any Chinese Super League Team 14/1
- Inter 16/1
- Dortmund 16/1
- Atletico Madrid 20/1
- Bayern Munich 25/1
- West Ham 25/1
- Newcastle 25/1
- Republic of Ireland National Team 25/1
- Crystal Palace 33/1
- Spain National Team 40/1
- Everton 50/1
- Arsenal 66/1
MOURINHO FINAL WORDS
The last time that Jose Mourinho spoke to the media took place shortly after Friday’s 2-2 draw at Everton.
Mourinho said: “I think it’s not about the changes. It’s not about the system.
“It’s a system that we played before, it’s a system that many teams they play. It’s a system that you could feel that Everton, even defending in a 4-4-2 they were dealing with three and two wing-backs.
“I don’t think it’s about the system but I believe that the result is one that’s not bad and it’s not good. Were we perfect? No. Were we bad? Also no.”
NAGELSMANN PREVIOUS STATEMENTS
RB Leipzig manager Julian Nagelsmann has been tipped as Jose Mourinho’s successor at Tottenham, following recent rumours that he will be replacing Hansi Flick at Bayern Munich.
Nagelsmann recently discussed the prospect of joining a Premier League club some day in the future and refused to rule out such a move.
The German manager told the Daily Telegraph in February: “I have a contract now until 2023 so I think I will stay in Leipzig.
“The Premier League is a very interesting league and I can imagine it could be a big aim to be a big manager in the Premier League one day like Jurgen [Klopp] who is very successful.
“It could be a step in the future.
“But, you know, in soccer it’s not that easy to plan ‘how long will you be a manager in Leipzig? When will you go to the Premier League?’
“I could imagine going to the Premier League. I could imagine staying as a manager in the Bundesliga for my whole career. It’s cool to be a manager in my own country. I love it.
“But then perhaps in the future we can meet face-to-face in the Premier League, who knows”
WAY RISKY
Derby manager Wayne Rooney, who was Manchester United captain during Jose Mourinho’s tenure at Old Trafford, claims Tottenham took a major risk letting him go just six days before the Carabao Cup Final against Manchester City.
Rooney also described Mourinho as a “fantastic” manager and one of the few that can properly prepare a team for a match against City.
The United legend said: “He is a fantastic manager.
“If there is one manager to set a team up to play against Manchester City in a cup final, it is Jose Mourinho. It is a massive risk.
“I am sure a lot of teams around the world would love to have him”
GETTY IMAGES DIFFICULT JOB
Jamie Carragher claimed Jose Mourinho had a difficult job of getting Tottenham in the top four as there are “better squads in this league”.
Carragher said on Friday: “I mentioned about these teams perhaps not being Champions League level and l think we saw that tonight.
“People may say that it’s not good enough for Spurs, but l don’t believe that with the squad Tottenham have got they should be in the top four. There are better squads in this league.
“I felt if Tottenham got into the top four this season it would be a slight over-achievement”
KEANE DEFENCE
Roy Keane backed Jose Mourinho as he insisted he needed more time at Tottenham and was more critical of the players.
Keane said: “He’s got a great record, he’s come into this side to compete; finishing sixth or seventh is not what they’ve employed him for.
“Jose has always had brilliant defenders, proper midfielders in terms of mindset. But Spurs aren’t strong enough. They’re not good enough to keep it tight behind Kane and Son.
“If he still has this mindset of getting our noses in front, sit back and hold onto leads, this team defensively – and I’m including the goalkeeper – aren’t good enough.
“These lads here are nowhere near as good enough defensively as what he’s had at his previous clubs. Lack of leaders, lack of characters, not good enough defensively.
“It’s a lot of things going into the mix and it’s not an easy fix. But I think his CV warrants staying longer in the job”
REDKNAPP PAST COMMENTS
Jamie Radknapp criticised Jose Mourinho’s coaching recently as he claimed he made Tottenham a “really tough watch”.
Redknapp told Sky Sports two weeks ago: “What Jose has done in this period is make them a really tough watch. You can say what you like about Spurs over the last 40 years but they’ve always been a good football team; they’ve always had a style of play.
“If Spurs fans were in here, I don’t think they’d enjoy that one bit. Too often I watch this Spurs side and there’s no real flair, there’s no excitement.
“I don’t think this is a bad squad of players; I’ve said it before and I’ll stand by it. This manager has chopped and changed at the back. To play football, you have to have a chemistry, a relationship with whoever you’re playing alongside.
“The manager has to take responsibility. We talked in the past about a Jose masterclass; he loved it and celebrated it. If he doesn’t think this is a good squad… well, a great manager would find a way to get his players organised”
MOURINHO STATEMENTS
Jose Mourinho was at times critical of his former Tottenham players in recent weeks.
Mourinho notably claimed that some of his stars were “hiding” during last month’s North London Derby defeat to Arsenal.
He said: “No intensity, no pressing. In terms of creating attacking football, some important players were hiding. In the second half we only had to improve which we did.”
Mourinho also said after the draw with Newcastle two weeks ago: “It was not a problem of fight, it was not a problem of attitude, the players wanted to win but I have to be honest and say I saw things on the pitch, not in terms of attitude but in terms of profile, vision, balance, which belongs to the top players, I didn’t see in every position”
MOURINHO RECORD
Jose Mourinho took over at Tottenham during a difficult time for the club last season as they had slumped to 14th place and struggled in the Champions League.
However, Mourinho picked them up and led them to sixth place as well as Europa League qualification.
This season has had its difficulties following the coronavirus pandemic’s impact on the sport.
However, the ex-Manchester United and Chelsea boss still guided Tottenham to the Carabao Cup final and came just a whisker away from becoming the first manager to win a trophy for the club since 2008.
Check out Mourinho’s analytical stats below:
LINEKER REACTS
Tottenham legend Gary Lineker took to Twitter following Jose Mourinho’s exit from the club.
Lineker combined the news with the ongoing developments of the European Super League.
Spurs are among the teams that have joined the controversial project and have even been given the title of “founding club”.
And the Match of the Day host decided to add some humour during this difficult day
MOURINHO TEMPORARY REPLACEMENT
Tottenham should be searching for Jose Mourinho’s permanent replacement.
Spurs confirmed that Mourinho has left the club along with his coaching staff.
The north Londoners also announced that former club player Ryan Mason will take first team training until further notice.
Mason spent eight years at Tottenham and made a total of 70 appearances across all competitions until he left for Hull in 2016 and was forced to retire two years later due to a head injury at the age of 26
NEXT TOTTENHAM MANAGER
RB Leipzig manager Julian Nagelsmann and Tottenham legend Jurgen Klinsmann are favourites to replace Jose Mourinho at Spurs’ dugout.
That is according to Betfair, who claim the German duo are at 7/2 odds of taking over from Mourinho:
- Julian Nagelsmann – 7/2
- Jurgen Klinsmann – 7/2
- Brendan Rodgers – 5/1
- Ledley King – 9/1
- Massimiliano Allegri – 10/1
- Steven Gerrard – 12/1
- Scott Parker – 12/1
- Rafa Benitez – 14/1
- Nuno Espirito Santo – 14/1
- Gareth Southgate – 16/1
- Maurizio Sarri – 16/1
- Diego Simeone – 20/1
- Graham Potter – 20/1
- Roberto Martinez – 20/1
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
