'Postecoglou hooks Tel off Tottenham penalty at last second after controversy'

17/04/2025 22:55

Tottenham were at the centre of another penalty controversy in their match against Eintracht Frankfurt.

Ange Postecoglou’s job is on the line, and the Australian boss desperately needed a win against Frankfurt in Germany to have any hopes of sticking around in North London next season.

The ex-Celtic manager did receive a boost from an unlikely source, as it emerged ahead of the game that Andoni Iraola has rebuffed advances from Tottenham.

However, with a loss against Frankfurt potentially signalling a death-blow for Postecoglou, the Spurs boss made a gutsy call.

Ange Postecoglou changes penalty taker from Mathys Tel to Dominic Solanke

With the score tied up at 0-0, James Maddison looked to connect to a long ball, before being completely wiped out by Frankfurt goalkeeper Kaua Santos which the referee somehow didn’t deem worthy of a spot kick, until a significant delay and VAR check reversed the decision.

Mathys Tel controversially stole a penalty from Brennan Johnson with the Welshman on a hat-trick in the 3-1 win over Southampton at the start of April, and the Frenchman again took the ball, ready to try and put Spurs ahead.

Postecoglou claimed that the media had been trying to turn “gold into [expletive]” when asked about the penalty debacle against the Saints, before making the point that if Tottenham had a crucial penalty against Frankfurt, he would choose the taker with the best chance of scoring.

Whilst the Australian’s comments were initially in reference to the first leg of the tie, the ex-Celtic boss did exactly what he said he would in Thursday’s (17 April) match.

Postecoglou could be seen shouting “Dom” whilst pointing to striker Dominic Solanke, as the referee sorted out the penalty procedure.

Tel, with no complaints, then handed the ball to his English teammate, who coolly slotted home to give Spurs a 1-0 lead on the night, and a 2-1 lead in the tie.

Ange Postecoglou’s bold call pays off with Tottenham future in doubt

Football Insider Verdict

As a manager, your career is often defined by a few moments, rather than many. For Postecoglou, his Tottenham career could be defined by one.

The decision to change penalty taker at the last second showed a boss who knows that if he doesn’t get the big moments right, there wont be many left for him.

Whilst Tel scored against Southampton, the Frenchman has found goals hard to come by since making the switch from Bayern Munich in the winter transfer window.

However, the same can be said about Solanke. Having joined from Bournemouth in the summer, the former Chelsea man’s hot start to life in North London has been interrupted by injury issues, leading to him not scoring in his previous 11 matches in all competitions.

But in a fiery atmosphere in Germany, Postecoglou knew his side needed a cool head, and his striker delivered.

Whether or not the Australian is in charge at the end of the season is anyone’s guess, but when given the chance, Postecoglou has proven himself capable of being decisive in the biggest of moments.

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