Ange Postecoglou launched an impassioned rant against Tottenham’s critics after a 2-0 win over Bodo/Glimt sent them through to the Europa League final to keep the club on course to end their 17-year trophy drought.
Spurs have not celebrated winning silverware since their 2008 League Cup success but set up an all-English final with Manchester United in Bilbao on May 21 with second-half goals by Dominic Solanke and Pedro Porro in the Arctic Circle.
It earned Tottenham a 5-1 victory on aggregate and offers Postecoglou the chance to stay true to his autumn vow of always winning a trophy in his second season.
Ange speaks after our semi-final success 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/n4oRaQtiGG
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) May 8, 2025
Speculation over Postecoglou’s future has intensified in recent months after a torrid Premier League campaign, with the club down in 16th position, but the Australian has guided Spurs to only their second European final in 40 years.
Manchester United stand between Tottenham and a much-craved trophy and while Red Devils boss Ruben Amorim claimed Europa League success will not save their season, his counterpart took umbrage at suggestions the Bilbao show piece was a get-out-of-jail card for both teams.
“It’s going to upset a lot of people isn’t it! The debate’s now raging. The latest one is that neither of us will be able to get a trophy if we win, they’re just going to take a team photo because we’re not worthy,” Postecoglou fumed.
“I mean, who cares if we’re struggling in the league? Why is that important? If it’s so easy to get to a final, then why doesn’t everyone who finishes in the top three do it? It’s a separate thing. It’s got nothing to do with league form.
“We understand our league form hasn’t been great. We understand the struggles we’ve had. A lot of them are because of the (injury) situation we’ve been in, but how (does) that diminishes the achievement of getting to a final?
“I couldn’t care less who’s struggling and who’s not. I think both us and Manchester United have earned the right to be there.”
Asked about Amorim’s past comments, Postecoglou pushed back: “Why do I care what Man United think? Why is that relevant to me. Ask the Manchester United manager why he said that.
“Me I’ve said all along that this is important.
“What’s happening now is people are fearing that. That it actually might happen and 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, or somehow comparing us to Man United.
“Maybe if we had Man United’s success then maybe I’d have a different view.
“So, of course it’s massive. Of course it is, because you have to frame it against what this club has been through over the last 15 or 20 years and what the supporters have been through.
“Just really pleased for the players, the staff and particularly our supporters. There were a few hundred here tonight who I’m sure will remember this night and thousands back home.
“We’ve given them some real hope and something to dream about that we can do something special this year.”
Bodo’s run to the last four had captured the imagination given the fishing town only boasts a population of around 55,000 people, but head coach Kjetil Knutsen conceded the best team went through.
Moments like this 🤍 pic.twitter.com/thX4hJxY5m
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) May 8, 2025
He said: “We should congratulate Tottenham for a good plan. They strangled our free game, took away the tempo. It became a match where we never truly got into it.
“They had the energy and the power. They wanted to go to the final.
“We don’t have any excuses other than meeting a better team.”
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