Tottenham Hotspur’s Europa League win is a triumph of management for Ange Postecoglou

It’s Tottenham, guys.

Watching the scenes at the San Mames stadium shortly before 11 p.m. local time felt a little surreal.

After falling to his knees, Guglielmo Vicario remained on the ground. Richarlison twirled his shirt over his head as he ran down the touchline. Team members swarming Cristian Romero. James Maddison holds a sobbing Son Heung-min. After undergoing knee surgery last week, Dejan Kulusevski was moving as quickly as his heavy brace and crutches would permit.

For years, many Tottenham supporters in Bilbao, northern Spain, as well as many more watching at home, have been speculating about what it would look like, feel like, and sound like to witness their team take home a trophy. Prior to this, the Spurs’ most recent trophy, the League Cup, had been won by a team led by Juande Ramos over Chelsea 17 years prior.

It appeared as though almost twenty years of repressed annoyance were finally erupting from the stands and dugout. It seemed like the club and supporters were making amends for their past debt, as well as the memories of Tottenham’s four previous finals: the League Cup again in 2009, 2015, and 2021, and the Champions League in 2019. From the thunderous roar at the final whistle to the thunderous playing of Spurs’ unofficial new anthem, Can’t Smile Without You, forty-five minutes later, it sounded like nothing you have ever heard. They gave it their all, hoarse and ecstatic, thankful for their presence and life.

Spurs supporters have witnessed their team become synonymous with banter, the simplest joke in sports, for far too long. The joke finally turned around on Wednesday.

In the midst of all the singing, dancing, and tears, from Natasha Bedingfield’s Unwritten in the dressing room to Freed From Desire on the field, there was one calm, proud man.

Despite being jumped on by his staff at the final whistle, Ange Postecoglou appeared content to stand there and absorb everything. The head coach exuded relief, contentment, and a sense of validation that had never been seen in a human being. It was so evident that he had been proven correct that he didn’t even need to state it. And in case there was any question, Maddison and Sergio Reguilon carried a banner around the field while wearing medals around their necks. With the caption, “I always win things in my second year,” it featured Postecoglou holding a photoshopped Europa League trophy while sporting sunglasses. “.”.

It was shortly after two in the morning that the players returned to the Hotel Carlton in Bilbao. The celebration was in full swing by that time. Some appeared worn out, while others wanted to dance or spend time with their families. Postecoglou, who arrived ahead of the squad with a broad smile, spoke poignantly about the significance of family to this success after Chairman Daniel Levy thanked everyone.

The true tale of this Europa League victory, which was Tottenham’s first European trophy since the UEFA Cup in 1984, was how Postecoglou overcame an otherwise dismal season to win the trophy. He persuaded his team to keep their sights set on this trophy, to continue down that narrow path, to change as a team, play differently, and win—all at a time when Spurs were at their lowest and the Postecoglou project seemed doomed.

Minutes after midnight, the Australian was greeted with applause as he entered his post-match press conference and revealed something that explained the entire run. that he determined the Europa League would be the target at the end of January. Despite this, Postecoglou stated that “other people at the club” had a different perspective. But he always thought Spurs could win this trophy, and he tried to do that with everything he did after that.

Over the last four months, that explains a lot. keeping Romero and fellow center-back Micky van de Ven safe after they recovered from injuries that ended Spurs’ league campaign; preventing them from playing in the Premier League, even if it meant losing league games more frequently. Seven of Van de Ven’s nine 2025 starts have come in Europe since he bounced back from his second hamstring injury of the year. And without him, the one who keeps this team cohesive, this trophy would not have been possible. Rasmus Hojlund was the only one capable of making the spectacular header clearance in the second half last night.

Despite having more Premier League football experience than Van de Ven this season, Romero has missed the last four league games, starting Kevin Danso in his place. In the championship game, he demonstrated his exceptional skill as a football player by fusing physical aggression with cold-blooded intelligence (the Spurs have given up three goals in their last six European games when those two are back together). In a similar vein, the remaining members of the starting lineup were controlled and shielded to provide Tottenham with the best opportunity of the evening. In regards to Postecoglou’s rotation policy, the arguments have now been resolved.

The way the players played, however, was more important than the players themselves. Additionally, their head coach disclosed that he feels offended by claims that he is an aesthete, an ideologue, or someone who values appearance over content. He sounded like he was upset with Levy when he said that Spurs “went after winners, and now we’ve got Ange.”. I’m the winner,” he declared. “My entire life, I have been a winner. “”.

Spurs’ strategy has drastically changed in the last few months since Postecoglou made the decision to put all of his money into Europe. A lot of what we believed to be true about “Angeball” has been proven false. In our eyes, they have changed into a new team. Avoid playing out of the back all the time, having a high line, and monopolizing possession unless it can be used to inflict the most damage.

It appeared as though this might be an isolated incident when we first witnessed it in the 1-0 victory at Eintracht Frankfurt in the second leg of the quarterfinal. Spurs played more brutally and effectively than ever before against Bodo/Glimt in the semi-finals. On the wing, Richarlison returned and dominated his opponents. Spurs prevailed 5-1 in the two-leg match. There ought to have been more. Richarlison’s dedication and running, particularly in the Norway final, delighted the coaching staff so much that they chose him to start in place of club captain Son for the championship game.

It was more than just a means of defeating the Norwegian champions, though. It was a strategy to win everything. Postecoglou is aware that football in knockout form is unique. It calls for more precise plans, pragmatism, and clarity. Following the game, he clarified that “big games come down to moments.”. “You must restrict the opposition’s opportunities. You must alter your strategy. In Europe, that was always going to be our strategy. “”.

The players believed it. They haven’t talked about much else this season because they are so focused on the possibility of taking home a trophy. It has served as a unifying factor for this group. Postecoglou knew how to capitalize on that emotion. Black and white pictures of previous Spurs teams winning trophies adorn the walls of their training facility. Postecoglou has given the players a clear directive: “Get on that wall.”. They had the ability to change history.

The squad was in a laid-back mood on Monday and Tuesday. However, there was a change in the camp early on Wednesday. a fresh sense of unwavering resolve and concentration. It originated in part with Postecoglou, who was adamant about avoiding distractions from outside sources. His clarity and confidence were a source of strength for the rest of the coaching staff.

The new mood was led by the players as well. Romero, the final’s starting captain, played a crucial role in this. He is more familiar than most with how major games operate, having already won two Copas America and one World Cup with Argentina. He sets the tone for the others and leads by example, despite his limited command of English.

Tottenham had a strong plan to win this final despite all the pregame chatter about their most recent injury crisis, which prevented them from playing their three best creative midfielders. They had spent months refining the plan on Thursdays. Protect deeply. Don’t let it slip. Be direct. Take a step. If it’s necessary, waste time. Everything was focused on achieving glory, the ultimate aim. preparing them for their most effective performance to date: three shots, 27% possession, 115 passes, another clean sheet, and a final trophy.

The management’s victory in this competition has been a triumph. Postecoglou has dazzled us so much that we believed we understood him.

But changing managers is one thing. It’s another matter entirely to persuade his players that they might change into a different team. proving to them that they could succeed.

He has been struggling with a powerful force—the unavoidable burden of “the history of Tottenham.”. And he now has the victory.

(Image at the top: UEFA/Alex Pantling via Getty Images).