Tottenham Hotspur have confirmed the appointment of Thomas Frank as the club’s new head coach.
The Danish manager moves across London from fellow Premier League side Brentford, where he spent nine years, to replace Ange Postecoglou, who was sacked by chairman Daniel Levy last Friday.
As Mail Sport reported earlier in the week, Spurs made a formal approach for Frank and talks progressed rather swiftly, with both clubs keen to agree a deal.
Following days of positive discussions, Spurs have now met the 51-year-old’s release clause – which is thought to be around £10million – to pry him away from the Bees.
However, it is believed that the total amount could continue to rise depending on how many of Brentford’s backroom staff follow Frank.
Spurs said in a statement: ‘We are delighted to announce the appointment of Thomas Frank as our new head coach on a contract that runs until 2028.
Tottenham on Thursday confirmed the appointment of Thomas Frank as their new head coach
Ange Postecoglou (above) was relieved of his duties at Tottenham by Daniel Levy last Friday
Talks progressed quickly and Frank has been appointed within a week of the Australian’s exit
‘Thomas has extensive experience in English football having joined Brentford in 2016 – since becoming one of the longest-serving current managers in the Premier League. During his time at Brentford he transformed the club, moving them up from the Championship to an established Premier League side, consistently and significantly outperforming expectations for an extended period of time.
‘In Thomas we are appointing one of the most progressive and innovative head coaches within the game. He has a proven track record in player and squad development and we look forward to him leading the team as we prepare for the season ahead.
‘Thomas will be joined from Brentford by Justin Cochrane (First Team Assistant Coach), Chris Haslam (Head of Performance & First Team Assistant Coach) and Joe Newton (First Team Coach Analyst), with Andreas Georgson (First Team Assistant Coach) arriving from Manchester United.’
Frank has overseen a remarkable period of success at Brentford since he was appointed manager in 2018, following a two-year stint as assistant head coach.
Over the past four years he has firmly established Brentford as a top-flight club, and last season guided the Bees to a 10th-place finish, their second-highest since arriving in the Premier League.
Brentford finished seven places and 18 points better off than Frank’s new side, who produced their worst-ever Premier League finish in a 20-team season, which was enough to condemn Postecoglou to the sack.
While the Australian did lead Spurs to their first trophy in 17 years by winning the Europa League in Bilbao against an abject Man United – doing away with the club’s flaky reputation in the process – their league record number of 22 defeats proved to be too much for Levy to ignore.
A large number of assistants – including Mile Jedinak, Nick Montgomery and Sergio Raimundo – exited on the back of the Australian’s departure, paving the way for Frank to bring in his own backroom team.
Frank guided Brentford to the Premier League in 2021 and they haven’t looked back since
Postecoglou was sacked despite winning Spurs’ first trophy in 17 years – the Europa League
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The evolution of Thomas Frank: From practising team talks to turning Brentford into set-piece kings
Postecoglou’s success in delivering silverware, which he promised he would, means that the Dane will take charge of Tottenham in the Champions League, and he will want a squad that is able to compete at the top level.
Reports had claimed Tottenham were looking to hijack Manchester United’s push to sign Frank’s golden boy Bryan Mbeumo from his now former club.
However, sources have disclosed that Spurs are ‘highly unlikely’ to enter the race for the forward, who scored 20 goals in the Premier League last term.
Last month, Mail Sport’s Oliver Holt played a couple of sets of padel at Brentford’s Osterley facility with Frank and assistant first-team coach Kevin O’Connor.
During their day together, Frank explained what it takes to build a successful culture at a football club – like he has at Brentford and continue to improve it one step after another.
‘We stand on the shoulders of others,’ Frank told Mail Sport in an interview last month. ‘And we build on foundations they have built for us. We need to acknowledge that every single time.
‘It’s all about the ego. So how fragile is it or how big is it? Some people need reassurance all the time and to say, “The reason I’m so good is because of me and has nothing to do with these top players and good staff”. It depends who you are.
‘So you need to believe in your own skill set, but be humble enough to know there’s a lot of hard work and you’re not the only one and all that. So I’m confident in myself and what I’m capable of doing. Also humble enough to know I can do nothing alone. No one can.
‘Look, if you ask whether I’m tough, I think I’m extremely resilient. And I think we’ve all got a dark side. I’ve got five per cent dark side in me. Even my wife says that.
‘You need that dark side, to have an edge and I have an edge. I’m extremely competitive, very determined, and you don’t survive in this business if you’re not tough.’
