By Goal
The former Chelsea and Manchester United manager has been relieved of his duties in the wake of a Super League announcement in north LondonArticle continues below
Tottenham have sacked manager Jose Mourinho, bringing a contract that had been due to run until the summer of 2023 to a premature conclusion.
The former Chelsea and Manchester United boss has been shown the door in north London a matter of days before Spurs are due to face Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final.
Mourinho had been appointed as successor to Mauricio Pochettino in November 2019 due to his proven track record on the trophy front, but he will now depart empty-handed.
What have Spurs said?
In a statement, Spurs said: “The club can today announce that Jose Mourinho and his coaching staff Joao Sacramento, Nuno Santos, Carlos Lalin and Giovanni Cerra have been relieved of their duties.”Article continues below
Spurs chairman Daniel Levy said: “Jose and his coaching staff have been with us through some of our most challenging times as a club. Jose is a true professional who showed enormous resilience during the pandemic.
“On a personal level I have enjoyed working with him and regret that things have not worked out as we both had envisaged. He will always be welcome here and we should like to thank him and his coaching staff for their contribution.”
Spurs have also confirmed that the club’s former midfielder Ryan Mason, who is currently head of player development, will take first-team training on Monday.
Mourinho’s record at Tottenham
Questions were asked of the 58-year-old’s methods throughout his time at the Spurs helm.
Accusations of being overly cautious were never far away from the Portuguese, with a supposedly defensive mindset winning him few admirers within a demanding fan base.
He was able to guide Tottenham to the League Cup final this season, as they seek to bring a 13-year wait for tangible success to a close, but now finds himself looking for a new job.
Mourinho took in 86 games as Spurs manager, collecting 44 victories from those outings to go alongside 19 draws and 23 defeats.
The bigger picture
Spurs’ decision to sever ties with a high-profile coach has come in the wake of the club revealing that they will form part of plans to create a new Super League in Europe.
Goal has learned that the decision to part with Mourinho is based on results and not related to the Super League announcement.
The Premier League’s ‘Big Six’ have all signed up to that proposal, with the intention being for elite clubs across the continent to face one another in a midweek competition from 2021-22.
Mourinho will not be entering that brave new world – at least not with Tottenham – and finds himself back on the market after 17 months with a third English side of his coaching career.
Who could take over at Tottenham?
With Spurs now searching for a new boss, their recruitment net is expected to be cast far and wide.
Highly-rated RB Leipzig coach Julian Nagelsmann heads the early betting market, with the 33-year-old’s services expected to be sounded out.
Former Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri is another name in the frame, along with Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers and club legend Ledley King.
Steven Gerrard, fresh from guiding Rangers to Scottish Premiership title glory, could also be approached, while ex-Liverpool and Chelsea boss Rafa Benitez finds himself out of work and looking for another role in England.
