Tottenham defender Cristian Romero has posted a touching farewell message to Ange Postecoglou less than an hour after Thomas Frank was confirmed as his replacement.
Postecoglou was relieved of his duties last week despite delivering Spurs’ first trophy since 2008, pipping Manchester United to the Europa League. In contrast, he also suffered a historically poor domestic campaign, winning just 11 matches and finishing 17th.
Most squad members wasted little time in saying their goodbyes as messages of gratitude poured in for the beloved manager.
Micky van de Ven described the move as ‘strange’ in an interview with Dutch television, while Pedro Porro wrote: “Above everything, you gave us one of the greatest moments in the club’s history and for that, you’ll always be celebrated. Wishing you all the very best, boss.”
Many echoed the sentiment, though Romero waited to post his tribute until Frank, formerly of Brentford, had been confirmed as Postecoglou’s successor in a thinly veiled protest against the decision to remove the Australian.
He wrote on Instagram: “Ange, thank you for these two incredible seasons. You’re a fantastic coach, but above all, a great person who deserves the best.
“From day one you paved the way despite the many obstacles that always existed and always will exist.
“Beyond everything, we won a trophy and went down in the history of this beautiful club, which is the only thing that matters.
“I wish you the best because you deserve the best, and thank you for everything.”
Romero made no mention of Frank’s appointment.
The Argentina international was a fixture in Postecoglou’s Spurs setup. While his appearances this season were limited by injury, he was named vice-captain and completed 90 minutes in the Europa League final.
