Sports
Tottenham fires head coach, Thomas Frank as club edges close to relegation
Tottenham Hotspur have parted ways with manager Thomas Frank after a disappointing run of results left the club hovering just five points above the relegation zone.
Frank’s departure comes after Tuesday’s 2-1 home defeat to Newcastle United, which saw the team slide to 16th place in the Premier League table with 29 points from 26 matches.
The decision to sack Frank was made due to the team’s poor performance, which saw them win just twice in their last 17 league games.
Despite being given time and support since his appointment in June 2025, Frank struggled to replicate his success at Brentford, where he consistently over-performed with limited resources.
Recall that Frank was appointed as the new Tottenham head coach in June 2025, succeeding Ange Postecoglou, who was sacked despite winning the Europa League.
Frank’s tenure was marked by inconsistent results and setbacks, including a notable incident where he was seen drinking from a coffee cup bearing the badge of rivals Arsenal.
Frank won just 13 of his 38 games in charge, with a Premier League win percentage of 26.9%, the lowest of any Tottenham manager in the Premier League era.
The team’s fans had been vocal about their discontent with Frank, booing him and chanting for his sacking during Tuesday’s defeat.
The club thanked Frank for his contribution and wished him well in the future.
With Frank’s departure, Tottenham are now searching for itheir sixth permanent manager in seven years, with potential candidates including Roberto De Zerbi, who recently left Marseille.
The team faces a tough challenge in the coming weeks, including a Premier League match against Arsenal on February 22.
Arsenal qualified for the semi-finals of the Champions League, despite playing a goalless draw with Sporting on Wednesday night.
The Gunners had won the first leg 1-0 in Portugal thanks to Kai Havertz’s late winner.
At the Emirates, the chances were far and few as both teams hit the woodwork but failed to score.
Arsenal will now play Atletico Madrid, who eliminated Barcelona.
In the other quarter-final, Bayern Munich beat Real Madrid 4-3 at the Allianz Arena.
The Bundesliga champions had won the first leg 1-0 at the Bernabeu.
Bayern Munich will play Paris Saint-Germain for a place in the final.
Football superstar Lionel Messi and the Argentine Football Association are facing a lawsuit in the United States over allegations of fraud and breach of contract linked to two Argentina exhibition matches held in October.
A Miami-based sports and entertainment company, VID, filed the suit in Florida, claiming it paid about $7 million for exclusive rights to stage Argentina friendlies against Venezuela and Puerto Rico, with the expectation that Messi would feature in both games.
According to the filing, Messi was contractually required to play at least 30 minutes in each match unless he was injured. However, the company alleges he did not take part in either game, instead watching from the stands during at least one of the fixtures.
Reports say Messi attended the match in Miami but did not play, choosing to remain available for his club commitments with Inter Miami the following day. The second fixture against Puerto Rico was also moved from Chicago to Fort Lauderdale, a change the promoters say led to significant financial losses, reportedly over $1 million.
VID further claims the AFA had promised compensation through a future friendly match in China in 2026, which never materialised.
The company is now seeking damages, alleging it suffered heavy financial losses due to unmet contractual expectations.
This is not the first time Messi’s absence from promotional matches has triggered legal action, as similar disputes have previously emerged involving ticketing and advertising expectations around his participation.
Paris Saint-Germain and Atletico Madrid have qualified for the semi-finals of the Champions League.
This follows the completion of the quarter-final second legs on Tuesday.
In the first game, PSG travelled to Liverpool with a 2-0 advantage from the first leg.
Although there were no goals in the first half, Ousmane Dembele netted twice after the break as the holders progressed into the final four.
At the Wanda Metropolitano, Atletico qualified for the semi-final despite losing 2-1.
Diego Simeone’s men had won 2-0 at the Nou Camp and at home, Ademola Lookman’s goal proved crucial after Lamine Yamal and Ferran Torres levelled the tie on aggregate/
PSG will face the winner of Bayern Munich vs Real Madrid, while Atletico Madrid await the winner of Arsenal vs Sporting.
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