Ange: Third place was not going to change this club, winning a trophy will

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Ange Postecoglou believes that Tottenham Hotspur's UEFA Europa League triumph over Manchester United will "change the club" more than finishing third in the Premier League would do.

Spurs head coach Postecoglou was widely mocked when, following a 1-0 home defeat to Arsenal last September, he boldly claimed that he "always wins silverware in his second season".

As a disappointing season on the domestic front continued - Spurs sit fourth-bottom of the Premier League after 21 defeats - the words of their head coach looked as if they could come back to haunt him.

Brennan Johnson's 42nd-minute goal to secure a 1-0 UEFA Europa League final victory on Wednesday changed all that.

"People misinterpreted me," said Postecoglou, when asked about his "second season" comment in his post-match press conference.

"It was not me boasting, just me making a declaration and I believed it. I had this thing inside me more than anything else.

"I know our league form has been unacceptable, but coming third was not going to change this football club, winning a trophy would. That was my ambition and I was prepared to wear it if it did not happen.

"People kept reminding me of it because we were getting closer but I'm happy with that."

Having ended their 17-year wait for a trophy - it was the club's first piece of silverware since winning the Carling Cup in 2008 and their first European honour since winning the UEFA Cup in 1984 - Postecoglou believes that Spurs can push on with purpose and positivity.

"There's no reason now why the [the players] can't go into next year knowing they can win another trophy. [We're] building a team that consistently strives to win things," he said.

"I think if you see yourself in that way, irrespective of the noise of the outside, hopefully this takes the club forward."

Spurs' matchwinner Johnson was quick to pay tribute to Postecoglou's influence, including his man-management skills.

"I can't thank the manager enough for how much trust he has in us and he has a really good way of getting us up for it," said Johnson.

"He has done his job. He said he wins in the second year and he has. If there's ever a time for a mic drop, it's now."

Celebrations to continue

While the celebrations among the Spurs squad and supporters went on long into the night, plans were being put in place to finalise an open-top bus victory parade on Friday 23 May.

Shortly after the conclusion of the parade, which is expected to start around 17:30 BST and last between 60 and 90 minutes, there will be a presentation of the trophy to the players and coaching staff in front of fans.

You can find out more details, including the parade route, on Spurs' official website here.

The party atmosphere is set to continue at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday, when Spurs host Brighton & Hove Albion in their final Premier League fixture of the 2024/25 season.

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