Author – Amrit Santlani
Tottenham Hotspur have dismissed their interim manager, Cristian Stellini, who had been in charge for less than a month after the club succumbed to a 6-1 defeat to Newcastle United on Sunday. Spurs have confirmed that Stellini, who took over after the departure of former manager Antonio Conte, has left the north London club. Stellini and his coaching staff parted company with mutual understanding after Tottenham suffered a humiliating defeat against Newcastle, their second loss in a row, after suffering a 3-2 defeat at the hands of relegation-threatened Bournemouth last week in the Premier League.
Stellini took over in north London on an interim basis on March 26, after his compatriot Conte’s tenure came to an end following a tumultuous 16-month period that included some notable results, but the Italian was unable to prevent the club’s trophy drought. Conte’s dismissal was confirmed after he fell out with many first-team players, whom he blamed for being ‘selfish’, after Spurs drew 3-3 with last-placed Southampton. The Italian also criticized the club’s owners, which confirmed that his time was coming to an end.
“Sunday’s performance against Newcastle was totally unacceptable. It was devastating to watch. We can look at many reasons why this happened and, although I, the board, the coaches and the players must take collective responsibility, ultimately the responsibility lies with me“, says the statement issued by President Daniel Levy.
“Cristian will leave his current position along with his coaching staff. Cristian came in at a difficult time in our season and I want to thank him for the professional way in which he and his coaching staff behaved during such a challenging period. We wish him and his team all the best“, the statement added.
The chairman also confirmed that Ryan Mason, who has already served as Spurs’ interim manager, will take over again until a permanent manager is found.
“Ryan Mason will take over as head coach with immediate effect. Ryan knows the club and the players well. We’ll update you more about your technical team in due course” said Levy.
The Premier League giants are engaged in a dogged race to finish in the top four to secure UEFA Champions League soccer next season. However, the disappointing result for Newcastle and the two consecutive defeats mean that they need to catch up. Spurs are currently fifth in the table, four points behind fourth-placed Manchester United, and Erik Ten Hag’s men have two games in hand.
For the first time since May 2003, Tottenham have conceded nine goals in their last two Premier League matches.
Harry Kane scored a consolation goal on Sunday, but a disappointing first-half performance saw the opposition score five goals in the first 30 minutes.
With just seven games left this season, Tottenham hope Mason can help guide the team to a top four finish.
Mason’s side are due to travel to Liverpool next week, with games against Crystal Palace, Aston Villa, Brentford, Leeds United and West Ham scheduled to be played before the end of the season.