Thomas Frank clashed with four players before ultimately being dismissed by Tottenham.
Thomas Frank has been dismissed as Tottenham manager with the club languishing in 16th place in the Premier League. During his short spell in north London, the Dane experienced several clashes with members of his squad.
Appointed from Brentford in June, Frank’s tenure was cut short after Spurs failed to win any of their final eight matches. A 2-1 defeat to Newcastle United on Tuesday proved to be the decisive blow, leaving Tottenham just five points above the relegation zone. The search for a new manager is now underway.
Throughout his time at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Frank did not always see eye to eye with certain players. Here are four Spurs stars who reportedly had disagreements with the former head coach.
Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence
One of the most publicised incidents occurred after a 1-0 defeat to Chelsea last November. At full-time, Frank stayed on the pitch to applaud the supporters, despite many having booed the team. He motioned for Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence to join him, but both players headed straight down the tunnel instead.
Frank later downplayed the situation, revealing that the pair had apologised. He explained that they were frustrated by the team’s performance and the reaction from the crowd, insisting there had been no intention to show disrespect.
Yves Bissouma
Midfielder Yves Bissouma also found himself at odds with Frank during the summer. The Mali international was left out of the squad for the UEFA Super Cup clash against PSG in August after repeated issues with punctuality.
Frank confirmed the decision was disciplinary, stating that while support and understanding are important, standards must be upheld and consequences enforced.
Mathys Tel
In January, tensions surfaced between Frank and young forward Mathys Tel during a home defeat to West Ham. Tel, who had started the match, was substituted in the 62nd minute with Spurs trailing 1-0.
The 20-year-old appeared visibly frustrated after being replaced and reacted angrily on the bench as Tottenham went on to lose 2-1. Addressing the situation, Frank explained that the substitution was tactical, stressing that Tel’s performance had not been the issue but that he needed to adjust the attacking setup.
