Ange Postecoglou made good on his promise to lead Tottenham to glory in his second year with the club as they beat Manchester United in the Europa League final – then revealed how his love for his late father helped spur him on to the biggest win of his career.
The 59-year-old’s dad Jim died in 2018, when the Australian was coaching Japanese side Yokohama F. Marinos – but he was with him in spirit in Spain on Wednesday night.
‘Finally, to my beautiful wife, my boys, my family my friends… you know, they’re all my inspiration,’ an emotional Postecoglou said in his post-match press conference.
Asked about his father, he replied, ‘He’s still with me, mate. His voice is in my head all the time.
‘As I get older I look in the mirror and see his face sometimes, which is frightening.
‘He’s with me all the time.
Ange Postecoglou scored the biggest win of his life when he took Tottenham to Europa League glory with a 1-0 win over Manchester United (pictured)
The Spurs boss then opened up about how his late father Jim (pictured together) has been with him every step of the way through his career
Jim (pictured left with his family) passed away in 2018 while Ange was coaching in Japan
‘My dear mum is in Greece with my sister and my nephews, I’m sure they’re over the moon.
‘It’s massive in Australia and in Greece. I’ve got family in both countries, friends in both countries, and they’ve been along for the journey the whole way.’
Postecoglou – whose wife Georgia and sons James, Max and Alexi have a low public profile – then opened up about how criticism of him over the club’s well-noted struggles in the Premier League this season have hit home.
‘It’s hard because I’m big enough and ugly enough to take whatever comes my way, but they get hurt when people come at me and they pay the price, particularly those closest to me, my beautiful family and my friends,’ he said.
‘The want to defend me and I keep telling them, it’s a small price to pay when you have nights like this.
‘Just seeing them tonight, and I know everyone in Australia … it’s another special night we share together.
‘Because I’m kind of the front man, it’s easy for me to take on the responsibility, but they’ve got no choice but to come along for the ride.
‘Just seeing them out there now on the pitch, smiling faces, I couldn’t be happier.’
Tottenham stars Sergio Reguilon (left) and James Maddison remind the Europa League final crowd that Ange was true to his word when he said he’d win a trophy in his second year
Postecoglou also spoke out about his father shortly after he got the Tottenham job in 2023.
He told his wife that the had ‘finally made it’ when he was recruited to lead Celtic, but would have loved to share that moment with his dad.
‘He was a man of his generation, but he mellowed as he got older and I took so long to get here but I would have loved for him just to have seen this, to get a glimpse of it,’ Postecoglou told Mail Sport.
‘All those sacrifices he made, just to have one night to see his son on the touchline. Al that stuff we used to watch together in the middle of the night. Father and son. So just to see me out there.
Postecoglou says he carries the teachings his father gave him with him through his life as he spoke of the huge influence he had on him – which included tough love and ensuring he always had something to strive for.
‘Yeah, he would be proud but he would have been giving me clips round the ear, mate, for doing things wrong because that was his way of complimenting me,’ he added. ‘You have done well but you could have made a couple of substitutions or you could have played this way. That was just the relationship we had. Its not lost.
‘One of my best mates lost his dad a couple of weeks ago. We are at that age now. The only words of comfort I can give those guys is that I see him in me. I look in the mirror and see him.
‘That’s his expression or I say something and I know it’s him talking. We carry them with us. I have no doubt about that. He’s on the journey but it would have been nice to give him a bit of a glimpse of what his boy became.’
