Tottenham hires Thomas Frank as coach, luring him from Premier League rival Brentford

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This article was published 12/06/2025 (472 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Tottenham hired Thomas Frank as head coach on Thursday after the Danish manager ended his nearly decade-long stay at fellow Premier League team Brentford.

The 51-year-old Frank will replace Ange Postecoglou, who was fired last week despite leading Tottenham to its first trophy in 17 years with a win over Manchester United in the Europa League final.

Tottenham said Frank’s contract runs until 2028.

“In Thomas we are appointing one of the most progressive and innovative head coaches within the game,” the club said in a statement. “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.”

Strong reputation

Frank joined Brentford in December 2016 and has been manager since 2018. He has established a reputation as a tactically flexible and shrewd coach who has improved players, especially those of a lower profile or who have not performed at other clubs.

At Tottenham, he will have a squad of higher quality — albeit one that finished below Brentford in the Premier League last season — and will be managing in the Champions League for the first time. One of his first games will be against Champions League winner Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup.

In that sense, it’s a slight gamble from Spurs. Indeed, Frank has never won a trophy in his managerial career.

However, having had Antonio Conte and Jose Mourinho at the helm for spells since 2019, even those managers with elite-level pedigree have found it tough to lead Tottenham to success and Frank at least has plenty of Premier League experience.

Brentford has played in the top flight since 2021 and consistently punched above its weight, with Tottenham pointing to Frank’s ability to get his former team “significantly outperforming expectations for an extended period of time.”

Frank’s ‘emotional intelligence’

Brentford director of football Phil Giles said Frank’s “wisdom, coaching ability and emotional intelligence have helped transform the club.”

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“He forged a special connection with our fans, helped develop and improve players, and was instrumental in implementing the culture that has seen Brentford go from strength to strength,” Giles said.

“We will never forget Thomas, but now it is time to thank him and take the next steps in our journey with a new leader who we believe can be just as successful and influential.”

Tottenham said Frank will bring several of his backroom staff with him from Brentford, including assistant coach Justin Cochrane, with set-piece specialist Andreas Georgson also joining from Manchester United.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer