Tottenham Hotspur sacked manager Mauricio Pochettino on Tuesday, citing poor run of results after a disappointing start to the season, the club announced in a statement.
The club's chairman Daniel Levy, in a statement released on Tuesday, said that the decision was not taken in haste and they were “extremely reluctant to make this change”.
“We were extremely reluctant to make this change and it is not a decision the board has taken lightly, nor in haste. Regrettably domestic results at the end of last season and beginning of this season have been extremely disappointing,” Levy said.
The decision to sack Pochettino, who has been charge of the club for five years, comes six months after he led the Spurs to the Champions League final, which they lost 0-2 to Liverpool. Pochettino's assistant Jesus Perez and other backroom staff, including Miguel D'Agostino and Antoni Jimenez, have also been relieved of their duties, the club said.
Pochettino nurtured a squad of young players into household names such as Harry Kane, Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen.
The club signed Tanguy Ndombele, Ryan Sessegnon and got Giovani lo Celso on loan in the summer transfer window, but the trio have been out of action due to injuries. The Spurs have had disappointing start to the season, winning only three of their 12 Premier League matches. They are currently on the 14th spot in the standings.
Levy added that he had the utmost admiration for Pochettino and the manner in which he dealt with the difficult times away from a home ground whilst they built the new stadium and “for the warmth and positivity he brought to us”.
However, the Tottenham Hotspur Supporters's Trust (THST) questioned Levy's role in the diminishing results on the pitch.
“Is the manager solely accountable? How much has the board's line on wages and transfers contributed to player unrest and disaffection?” The THST said in a statement.
As per reports, Jose Mourinho is expected to take over the job at Tottenham Hotspur following speculations that talks between the club and the former Manchester United and Chelsea manager were at an advanced stage. Mourinho has not been managing any clubs since being sacked by Manchester United 11 months ago.
Pochettino took over as Tottenham Hotspur manager in 2014. He had led the team to the second place in the league during the 2016-17 season―their highest placed finish since over 50 years. He turned around the fortunes of an underachieving club, which saw a succession of managers almost every year in the last decade. Pochettino is the Spurs' longest-serving coach since Keith Burkinshaw who was in charge from 1976-84.
(With inputs from agencies)
