Daniel Levy reportedly sought advice from a number of senior Tottenham players before deciding to remove Cristian Stellini from his role as caretaker manager.
Interim manager Stellini had been promoted from assistant to head coach following the high-profile sacking of Antonio Conte in March. The dismissal of the Italian came after he branded his players as “selfish” and not wanting “to help each other and don’t put their heart [in the game].”
The original idea was that Stellini would remain in the caretaker role until the end of the Premier League season.
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However, Stellini only lasted four games — one of which was Spurs’ 6-1 thrashing at the hands of Newcastle United.
Levy himself called the humiliating defeat ‘wholly unacceptable’ and has placed responsibility for the loss on his own shoulders.
In a statement, he wrote: “Sunday’s performance against Newcastle was wholly unacceptable. It was devastating to see. We can look at many reasons why it happened and whilst myself, the board, the coaches and players must all take collective responsibility, ultimately the responsibility is mine."
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In the wake of the loss, he decided to remove Stellini from his duties. "Cristian will leave his current role along with his coaching staff," he added in his words to Spurs fans.
“Cristian stepped in at a difficult point in our season and I want to thank him for the professional manner in which he and his coaching staff have conducted themselves during such a challenging time. We wish him and his staff well.”
His replacement is Ryan Mason who will take charge of Tottenham for the remainder of the season, in a similar fashion to when he held the fort following the sacking of José Mourinho in 2021.
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Regarding Mason’s return to the dugout, Levy said in a statement: “Ryan Mason will take over head coach duties with immediate effect. Ryan knows the club and players well. We shall update further on his coaching staff in due course.”
“I met with the players’ committee today - the squad is determined to pull together to ensure the strongest possible finish to the season.”
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However, Levy reportedly turned to a number of senior stars before reaching the decision to replace Stellini, consulting with a quartet of players over the Italian's future.
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In a report from The Sun, the Tottenham chairman led an inquest into the events of the Newcastle defeat and sought advice from four players’ committee members in Eric Dier, Harry Kane, captain Hugo Lloris and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.
After reportedly seeking the senior players’ counsel, Levy made a swift call to move on Stellini and bring in Mason as his immediate replacement.
Mason is set to have his work cut out for him this Thursday as his first game in charge will be against top-four rivals Manchester United before a trip to Liverpool in two key games in the battle to qualify for next season's Champions League.
Featured Image Credit: PATopics: Tottenham Hotspur, Harry Kane, Antonio Conte, Premier League, Manchester United