'It feels horrible' - England manager Thomas Tuchel shares 'huge sympathy' with Ange Postecoglou after Tottenham Hotspur sacking
Published 06/06/2025 at 21:38 GMT+1
England boss Thomas Tuchel feels "huge sympathy" for Ange Postecoglou after he was sacked by Tottenham Hotspur just 16 days after winning the UEFA Europa League. The Australian was dismissed by Spurs on Friday, having guided them to a 17th-placed finish in the Premier League. Tuchel has said he has the "biggest respect" for the Australian, adding that "it feels horrible if you’re in that spot".
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England manager Thomas Tuchel has "huge sympathy" for Ange Postecoglou following his sacking from Tottenham Hotspur, saying it "feels horrible" to be dismissed by a club.
Spurs confirmed the fate of Postecoglou on Friday afternoon, just 16 days after he had guided the club to its first major trophy in 17 years with UEFA Europa League glory.
However, having finished 17th in the Premier League with a record-low points tally, the north London side said they could not make a decision on the Australian's future based on "emotions aligned to this triumph".
Tuchel, who was sacked by Chelsea just 16 months after delivering the UEFA Champions League, has said the decision to sack Postecoglou shows "it is not only about titles".
Speaking ahead of England’s World Cup qualifier against Andorra on Saturday, Tuchel said: "I feel for every manager, and I have huge sympathy for every manager, especially in these moments, because I was in the same spot, and it feels horrible if you’re in that spot.
"It just shows you that it is not only about titles, you can survive seasons without titles if your connection, the support and the belief and the trust between the coach and the club is strong, then you can overcome seasons without titles.
"If there is slight disbelief, if there are concerns, if the trust is not there anymore, obviously, then it is sometimes not even enough to win a trophy after so many years.
Postecoglou made a bold claim at the start of his second campaign with Spurs, saying: "I always win things in my second year."
Having delivered the Europa League title, which secured the north London side Champions League football for next season, Tuchel said he has the "biggest respect" for the 59-year-old.
The German told reporters at a press conference: "He's a huge character, he brought a trophy, he said he will deliver in the second year and he did.
"But this is part of the job, we are responsible for the results and we are responsible for the development of the team so, whether we like it or not, sometimes it is us who has to take the full responsibility."
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Tuchel promises 'attacking line-up' against Andorra
Tuchel has promised his England side will be "very offensive" in their World Cup qualifier away to Andorra on Saturday.
The German’s reign in charge has started with victories over Albania and Latvia at Wembley, as England got their qualification campaign off to the perfect start.
The former Chelsea boss is aware his side will be "huge favourites" as they look to make it three wins from three against a team ranked 173rd in the world.
With England currently fourth in the rankings, Tuchel has said his team will be "very offensive", with the main focus being on the players’ "hunger to score and create".
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The 51-year-old said: "We anticipate a match where we are huge favourites, we accept the role, and we want to live up to that role.
"We expect a lot of ball possession, and we want to put the ball in the opponent's half and from there, find solutions to enter the opponent's box. The focus will be on the attacking patterns."
When asked whether he feels more of a responsibility to win or entertain, Tuchel replied: "I personally feel always the responsibility to entertain, we always look to win and entertain at the same time.
"We will be very offensive tomorrow, the mindset will be offensive, the mindset will be how often can we break the deep line down? How big is our hunger to score and create goal-scoring opportunities?"
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Despite Tuchel’s acknowledgement that England are expected to win Saturday’s match, there are no signs of complacency from the German.
When asked about giving players opportunities, he said: "We will not devalue the World Cup qualifier, just because we are on paper huge favourites, into an exhibition game where we look at things and try things.
"It will be a very serious approach tomorrow. It’s about being serious and being professional and showing it in the line-up. It will be an offensive line-up, an attacking line-up."
Following Saturday's qualifier, England will host Senegal in a friendly at Nottingham Forest's City Ground on 10 June.
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