Ange Postecoglou angrily defended his managerial record ahead of Tottenham’s Europa League final against Manchester United after a disastrous Premier League season, stating: “I’m not a clown.”
Spurs faces United in Bilbao on Wednesday with a chance to win its first trophy in 17 years, which would mean qualification for next season’s Champions League.
Postecoglou, whose team is 17th in the Premier League — a place below United — has been under mounting pressure over recent months as results have nosedived.
Many observers believe the Spurs manager could be out of a job regardless of the result at the San Mames Stadium in northern Spain against Ruben Amorim‘s fellow strugglers.
Postecoglou was asked at his pre-match press conference on Tuesday whether he was aware he was walking a fine line between infamy and history ahead of the match.
“That depends on your outlook but I’ll tell you one thing — irrespective of tomorrow, I’m not a clown, I never will be mate,” he said, directly addressing a reporter who had used the word in an article. “It’s really disappointing that you use such terminology about a person who for 26 years, without any favours from anyone, who’s worked his way to being in a position where he’s leading out a club in a European major competition, for you to suggest that somehow us not being successful means that I’m a clown.”
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