Postecoglou dedicates Europa League win to fans after Spurs struggles this season

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Postecoglou dedicates Europa League win to fans after Spurs struggles this season  21/05/2025  San Mamés Barria, Bilbao, Spain  uefa25 europa league final Tottenham 1-0 Manchester Utd

Transcript

00:00Congratulations, Ange.

00:07I mean, you've told these players throughout

00:09they were going to do something special this season.

00:11How does it feel to see that realised?

00:15Yeah, look, it's hard sort of to put into words the emotions.

00:23Yeah, super proud of the players.

00:25It's a quote from my favourite Australian Prime Minister,

00:32Paul Kedding, he said after an unlikely victory,

00:34he said this is one for the true believers

00:36and this is certainly one for the true believers

00:40and that means, you know, an unbelievable group of players

00:43who never wavered, never lost faith in me and what we were doing.

00:50Unbelievable football staff led by brilliant coaches.

00:55You know, people who work at the club, you know, from board down,

01:00whether that's Lily Whitehouse or the training ground and supporters.

01:06I know people think I've got this sort of fractious relationship

01:09but every support I ever bumped into was just so kind in reassuring me

01:15that, you know, they believed in what I was doing.

01:19I'd never felt, you know, I understand the disappointment

01:22we've put them through this year, particularly in the league

01:25but, you know, just seeing them tonight, you know,

01:29the impact it has on them, some of them, you know,

01:31it's obviously 17 years since our last trophy, 41 in Europe.

01:35Some of them have never had a night like this so, you know,

01:39but, you know, it's a reward for them and, you know,

01:43finally to my beautiful wife and my boys and my family,

01:49my friends who, you know, they're all my inspiration

01:54because I'm kind of the front man.

01:56It's easy for me to sort of take on the responsibility

02:00but, you know, they've got no choice but to come along for the ride

02:04and just seeing them out there now on the pitch,

02:06smiling faces, couldn't be happier.

02:11Congratulations.

02:13I know you've not wanted to make this Europa League run about you

02:16but is this your biggest achievement?

02:20You've had some amazing achievements in your career

02:22but given the circumstances, given it sort of became

02:25this all or nothing match, is it your biggest achievement?

02:28Yeah, look, I, you know, I feel if I say that then it diminishes,

02:34not for me the other achievements but the people I share them with

02:36but it's definitely been the toughest thing I've ever done

02:40without a shadow of a doubt and I knew that going into it,

02:45you know, you know better than me.

02:47This club's had some unbelievable world-class coaches,

02:51world-class players and they haven't had a night like this

02:53so I knew what I was taking on and it's fair to say

02:57that it's been really challenging because, you know,

03:01wherever else I've had success by this stage,

03:03I've kind of had the faith and trust of everybody

03:06and here it's been different and I understand that's not a criticism,

03:11it's just I think, you know, because of the club

03:13and the way it's sort of, it's recent history or it's history,

03:17I don't think they could always ever go all in on one person

03:21and for me that's always how it's worked well

03:23when, you know, people kind of back my vision.

03:25So, but within that, you know, I think when we got to sort of

03:32the end of January, the end of the transfer window

03:33and I kind of assessed our situation,

03:36I just made a decision there and then that this was the trophy

03:41we were going to go for and, you know,

03:44it probably was at odds with what other people at the club

03:46sort of believed at the time we should do

03:49and that's, again, that's understandable

03:51but I just really believed we could win this

03:56and sort of everything we've done since then,

03:59everything we've done at training,

04:01everything we've done in terms of the games that the teams I've selected

04:04is about making sure when these games came around,

04:07the Europa games, that we're in the best possible condition

04:09to tackle them and that's come at a cost for sure in the league

04:13and I've got to take the responsibility for that

04:15but I just felt like the end game

04:20of winning something was more important

04:22and it was the only way I was going to do it.

04:29Congratulations.

04:30Thanks.

04:31You've spoken about what a turning point this could be,

04:34the growth that the team can get from this victory.

04:37How hungry are you to drive this team forward

04:41given the Champions League football next season?

04:43Yeah, very because, you know, it's...

04:47We've got a really young group of players

04:50and, you know, you can talk to them about success

04:56and what it means but until they feel it,

05:00you know, it doesn't become real

05:03and I've got no doubt that all those boys tonight

05:05having this feeling we'll want this again

05:08and to get it again they're going to have to make

05:11similar sort of sacrifices.

05:12They've climbed a mountain now

05:13so they know what it takes to sort of get to where we are

05:17and I think that does.

05:19It accelerates the opportunities to build a team

05:23that can be successful and, you know, competitive

05:28at the highest level for years to come.

05:31So, as I said yesterday, you know,

05:33I still feel there's a lot of work to be done.

05:35I think that's quite obvious

05:36but not as much work as people may think.

05:39You know, people can bang on about our 20 league defeats

05:44and where we are but, you know,

05:45they're missing the point of what we're trying to build here

05:47or what I'm trying to do anyway

05:48and I really feel that tonight can, you know,

05:52be a great platform for us to kick on.

05:55Jack.

05:58You said a minute ago that at the end of the January window

06:01you decided full focus on the Europa League.

06:03Does that explain the really sort of ruthless, efficient style

06:06that we've seen overcome Alkmaar Frankfurt,

06:09Bodo Glimt and now tonight

06:10and how did you find the players kind of bought into that

06:13when that was planned?

06:15No, that wasn't part of it

06:16but I've always treated, you know,

06:18I've had a lot of success in my career

06:20and not just sort of winning leagues

06:23but also now in Australia I grew up playing finals football

06:26to win a championship

06:27so knockout football is always different.

06:29You know, all my teams have always played a little bit different

06:31in knockout games

06:32because you know that you've got to have a real clear game plan.

06:37Big games come down to moments.

06:39You've got to limit the moments of the opposition.

06:41You've got to change your approach

06:42and the players embraced that

06:45because, you know,

06:46that was always going to be our approach in Europe

06:49and it's why we did well in the Carabao Cup as well.

06:52You know, we beat some decent teams in the Carabao Cup

06:54including City, including, you know, United

06:57and, you know, we beat Liverpool in the first league

06:59played a similar way

07:00but also it helps that I've got, you know,

07:04Van de Ven and Romero and Vicario and Adoghi and Porro,

07:08you know, all these guys available

07:10and, again, that was part of the sort of mindset

07:13of making sure they were available for these big games

07:15and I thought the lads handled it.

07:18The whole Europa sort of knockout stages, you know, brilliantly,

07:22knew what we had to do,

07:23were really efficient with what we did

07:25and, you know, I think got the just rewards.

07:30Hi, Ange.

07:31Well done.

07:31You mentioned a lot of people at the top there.

07:34Your dad's no longer with us

07:35but what would he make of your son doing this

07:38and what does it mean back in Australia as well?

07:40Yeah, you know, he's still with me, mate.

07:42You know, his voice is in my head all the time

07:46and as I get older, I look in the mirror,

07:48I see his face sometimes which is frightening as it seems.

07:51He's with me all the time, mate.

07:53My dear mum's in Greece with my sister

07:55and my nephews, I'm sure they're over the moon

07:59and, yeah, it's massive in Australia and in Greece, you know.

08:02I've got family in both countries and friends in both countries

08:07and, you know, they've been along for the journey the whole way

08:09and it's hard because, you know, I'm big enough and ugly enough

08:17to take whatever comes my way

08:19but they get hurt when people sort of come at me

08:21and they pay the price, particularly, you know,

08:24those closest to me, my beautiful family and my friends

08:26and, you know, they want to defend me

08:28and, you know, I keep telling them it's a small price to pay

08:31when you have nights like this

08:33and I've been fortunate I've had plenty of nights like this

08:36and just seeing them tonight

08:39and I know everyone in Australia,

08:40they would have got up early in the morning,

08:42you know, they'll be buzzing and people in Greece

08:44and more importantly, the people here with me.

08:48You know, it's another special night we share together.

08:53Hi, Ance, congratulations.

08:55You talk about backing your vision.

08:56I mean, how does a club let go of a manager

08:59who's just delivered them their first trophy

09:01in 41 years in European competition?

09:04Look, I think I said yesterday, I'm pretty kind of...

09:09Relax is not the word

09:10because I'd be disappointed if we couldn't continue on this path

09:13but, you know, like I said, it's not a criticism.

09:17I understand why it would be difficult for a club like this

09:20to buy into one person's vision.

09:21You know, I remember even when I signed, you know,

09:26it was kind of, you know, the club...

09:29I think even Daniel sort of said, you know,

09:30we went after winners, it didn't work

09:32and now we've got Ange and...

09:35Mate, I'm a winner.

09:36I've been a serial winner my whole career.

09:38It's what I've done more than anything else, you know.

09:40And I know people talk about my football,

09:41which I'm very proud of but...

09:43And I know people dismiss my achievements

09:46because, you know, they didn't happen to happen

09:49on this side of the world

09:50but for me, they're all hard-earned

09:52and all I've done my whole career is win things

09:54and...

09:55But I understand, you know, look,

09:59obviously the way things have gone in the league,

10:03you know, people are rightly to be concerned about.

10:05I said I don't think there's a true reflection

10:07of where we're at.

10:08But whatever happens, I've...

10:12I said my own sort of belief in what I do doesn't waver

10:18and I'll continue to kind of push on to do what I do.

10:24Ange, well done.

10:26It was noticeable at the end,

10:27the players were celebrating with unbridled joy.

10:29You were standing back quietly.

10:31Is that just your style

10:32or was there an element of relief as well?

10:34Oh, there's huge relief.

10:36I mean, you ask any manager

10:38and I'm telling you that that's the biggest feeling

10:41because you carry the weight of responsibility.

10:44I mean, you know,

10:47I think this is maybe our 59th game

10:50or 60th game this year.

10:53That means me and Anthony

10:54have been in front of you guys 120 times, you know,

10:57plus the extras that we do.

11:01I mean, that's probably 150, 160 times

11:03I've been a spokesman for this football club this year

11:05and I know everything I say is important.

11:09Fair to say, I don't always get it right.

11:11So all that kind of responsibility weighs on your shoulders

11:15and so it is.

11:17It's relief, but...

11:19Also, I'm a lot older than those guys, mate,

11:21and I've learned to understand

11:22that what makes nights of these memorable

11:26is to remember them.

11:27So I kind of stand back

11:28and just watch everyone else enjoy it

11:30and that's all I need.

11:32James, final one, please.

11:34Congratulations, Ange.

11:35I know you said you're sort of relaxed about the situation,

11:38but can you just give us an idea

11:39of what the next few days are like?

11:41Is there a meeting planned with Daniel

11:43or with the hierarchy?

11:44Because you must want some clarity one way or the other.

11:46No, no planned meetings.

11:48I haven't had any discussions.

11:49No-one's spoken to me about anything.

11:51Maybe they felt like they don't need to

11:54or they were waiting for this game.

11:56Look, what I do know is that I'm going to go back

11:59to my hotel room, get my family and friends together,

12:04open up a nice bottle of scotch,

12:08have a couple of quiet ones,

12:09get ready for a massive parade on Friday,

12:12play Brighton on Sunday, really important.

12:14Our last home game, we want to finish strong

12:16and then Monday I'm going on holidays

12:18with my beautiful family because I deserve it.

12:23Que sera, sera.

12:25Thank you very much.

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