The Prague Post - Postecoglou hits back as Spurs reach Europa League final

EUR -
AED 4.269035
AFN 80.781812
ALL 97.456094
AMD 446.576198
ANG 2.080099
AOA 1065.794205
ARS 1494.414015
AUD 1.786168
AWG 2.092071
AZN 1.980459
BAM 1.952133
BBD 2.345793
BDT 141.045021
BGN 1.956323
BHD 0.438891
BIF 3400.777093
BMD 1.162261
BND 1.491298
BOB 8.027918
BRL 6.486354
BSD 1.161817
BTN 100.019096
BWP 15.598695
BYN 3.802157
BYR 22780.325028
BZD 2.333716
CAD 1.596192
CDF 3354.287055
CHF 0.932713
CLF 0.029182
CLP 1119.862642
CNY 8.342655
CNH 8.346165
COP 4657.181754
CRC 586.298532
CUC 1.162261
CUP 30.799929
CVE 110.589638
CZK 24.634179
DJF 206.557568
DKK 7.463699
DOP 70.259163
DZD 151.496486
EGP 57.439973
ERN 17.433922
ETB 158.653194
FJD 2.621369
FKP 0.866542
GBP 0.866454
GEL 3.150183
GGP 0.866542
GHS 12.116623
GIP 0.866542
GMD 83.106172
GNF 10060.535793
GTQ 8.920242
GYD 243.073343
HKD 9.117767
HNL 30.626041
HRK 7.533319
HTG 152.54342
HUF 398.923459
IDR 18977.696027
ILS 3.902549
IMP 0.866542
INR 100.129761
IQD 1522.56254
IRR 48945.741055
ISK 142.354235
JEP 0.866542
JMD 185.790958
JOD 0.824089
JPY 172.949203
KES 150.51728
KGS 101.640213
KHR 4672.291561
KMF 491.989694
KPW 1046.077104
KRW 1616.942576
KWD 0.355234
KYD 0.968181
KZT 619.356427
LAK 25064.169244
LBP 104080.516031
LKR 350.521482
LRD 233.614962
LSL 20.595717
LTL 3.431856
LVL 0.703041
LYD 6.311522
MAD 10.521377
MDL 19.762872
MGA 5148.818764
MKD 61.444565
MMK 2439.88243
MNT 4168.596049
MOP 9.392835
MRU 46.281692
MUR 53.119698
MVR 17.903172
MWK 2018.271404
MXN 21.795313
MYR 4.935007
MZN 74.338683
NAD 20.595712
NGN 1779.387897
NIO 42.713547
NOK 11.840776
NPR 160.030354
NZD 1.948796
OMR 0.447149
PAB 1.161817
PEN 4.142886
PGK 4.804212
PHP 66.377189
PKR 331.157397
PLN 4.244708
PYG 8992.106697
QAR 4.231334
RON 5.072695
RSD 117.06767
RUB 91.265035
RWF 1670.750879
SAR 4.359791
SBD 9.64543
SCR 16.424358
SDG 697.942292
SEK 11.235354
SGD 1.492697
SHP 0.913355
SLE 26.62005
SLL 24372.046713
SOS 664.236693
SRD 43.245469
STD 24056.466061
STN 24.843339
SVC 10.165902
SYP 15112.221726
SZL 20.595702
THB 37.634455
TJS 11.182492
TMT 4.079538
TND 3.367657
TOP 2.722137
TRY 46.923174
TTD 7.887182
TWD 34.181766
TZS 3028.605902
UAH 48.520146
UGX 4163.178714
USD 1.162261
UYU 46.822036
UZS 14728.762822
VES 135.943958
VND 30404.760344
VUV 139.137302
WST 3.060577
XAF 654.732599
XAG 0.030439
XAU 0.000347
XCD 3.14107
XCG 2.093866
XDR 0.81565
XOF 654.353599
XPF 119.331742
YER 280.163552
ZAR 20.584075
ZMK 10461.752209
ZMW 26.750744
ZWL 374.247723
  • CMSC

    0.0900

    22.314

    +0.4%

  • CMSD

    0.0250

    22.285

    +0.11%

  • RBGPF

    0.0000

    69.04

    0%

  • SCS

    0.0400

    10.74

    +0.37%

  • RELX

    0.0300

    53

    +0.06%

  • RIO

    -0.1400

    59.33

    -0.24%

  • GSK

    0.1300

    41.45

    +0.31%

  • NGG

    0.2700

    71.48

    +0.38%

  • BP

    0.1750

    30.4

    +0.58%

  • BTI

    0.7150

    48.215

    +1.48%

  • BCC

    0.7900

    91.02

    +0.87%

  • JRI

    0.0200

    13.13

    +0.15%

  • VOD

    0.0100

    9.85

    +0.1%

  • BCE

    -0.0600

    22.445

    -0.27%

  • RYCEF

    0.1000

    12

    +0.83%

  • AZN

    -0.1200

    73.71

    -0.16%

Postecoglou hits back as Spurs reach Europa League final
Postecoglou hits back as Spurs reach Europa League final / Photo: Mats Torbergsen - NTB/AFP

Postecoglou hits back as Spurs reach Europa League final

Ange Postecoglou accused his critics of trying to "tear down" Tottenham's run to the Europa League final as a 2-0 win at Bodo/Glimt kept alive the under-fire Australian's bid to end their 17-year trophy drought.

Text size:

Postecoglou's side will face Manchester United in the final in Bilbao on May 21 after securing a 5-1 aggregate victory in the semi-final second leg in Norway on Thursday.

Having won the first leg 3-1 last week, Postecoglou would have been hammered by his growing army of doubters if Tottenham had blown their chance to reach the final.

But second-half goals from Dominic Solanke and Pedro Porro ensured the much-maligned manager still has a chance to fulfil his boast that he always wins a trophy in his second season.

Despite languishing in 16th place in the Premier League, Europa League glory for Tottenham would secure a place in next season's Champions League.

Whether that will be enough to spare Postecoglou from the axe is another matter.

The 59-year-old has admitted the general perception outside Tottenham is he faces the sack regardless of the Europa League run because their domestic form has been so bad.

With three games left in the top-flight season, Tottenham are in danger of their worst finish since they were relegated in 1976-77.

United are just one place above Tottenham in the English top flight after an equally woeful campaign.

United boss Ruben Amorim has said winning the Europa League won't save their season from being a failure.

But the combative Postecoglou came out fighting when that was put to him during his press conference after the second leg.

"What do I care what Manchester United think? Why is that relevant to me? Ask the Manchester United manager why he said that. Me, I've said all along this is important," Postecoglou said.

"You know better than me, you follow this club more than I have. What do you think a trophy would do for this club? The question answers itself. It doesn't need me.

"You know what's happening right now is people are fearing that it actually might happen.

"Because it might happen let's see how we can tear it down somehow and diminish it somehow by saying it's been a poor season and we don't deserve this or we don't deserve that."

- 'We can do something special' -

Given his dedication to a polarising gameplan that puts the emphasis on attack, it was instructive that Postecoglou opted for more cautious tactics in the second leg.

The Australian appeared to appreciate the stakes as he adapted to the threat posed by Bodo/Glimt on a tricky artificial pitch in cold and rainy conditions.

"I couldn't be prouder of the lads. We knew it would be a difficult place to come. We're well aware of the record they have here and the pitch and all those kind of things," Postecoglou said.

"We fully deserved to win both legs and we're excited, we're in the final."

Tottenham have already beaten United three times this season, winning 3-0 and 1-0 in the Premier League and 4-3 in the League Cup.

The north Londoners are aiming to win their first European trophy since the 1984 UEFA Cup and their first silverware in any competition since the League Cup in 2008.

Tottenham's last four finals have all ended in defeat, most notably the 2019 Champions League showpiece against Liverpool, while they were also beaten in the 2009, 2015 and 2021 League Cup finals.

Postecoglou might not be certain where his future lies, but he is determined to bring the trophy back from Bilbao.

"This is why we do what we do as much as anything else. You understand the context of what this football club has been trying to achieve for quite a while and managers and players come and go, but the one constant is the supporters," he said.

"We've given them some hope, something to dream about. We've got an exciting trip coming up and a great experience and who knows? Hopefully we can do something special."

G.Turek--TPP