Tottenham’s players were unhappy with Thomas Frank incessantly praising Arsenal’s performances this season, in keeping with reports.
Frank was sacked by Spurs on Wednesday morning lower than 12 hours after the team’s 2-1 defeat at home to Newcastle United.
The loss has left Spurs just five points above the relegation zone and with just two wins from their last 17 Premier League games.
An announcement from Spurs read: ‘Thomas was appointed in June 2025, and we’ve been determined to present him the time and support needed to construct for the long run together.
‘Nonetheless, results and performances have led the Board to conclude that a change at this point within the season is mandatory.’
In line with The Telegraph, Frank frustrated a number of the players in his Spurs squad during his eight months in charge by highlighting Arsenal’s strengths under Mikel Arteta.
The report adds that some members of Spurs’ squad had also shared memes of Frank wearing Arsenal clothing after he unknowingly drank from a cup which had the Gunners’ logo on it before the 3-2 defeat to Bournemouth in January.
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‘He was consistently occurring to the players about Arsenal they usually quickly got sick of it,’ a source told The Telegraph.
‘Even before and after the sport on the Emirates, he was telling them how good Arsenal were. The sensation amongst some was very much ‘just shut up about Arsenal’.’
During his first press conference as Spurs manager last July, Frank unintentionally praised Arsenal’s Invincibles season under Arsene Wenger.
‘As I said to the staff on the primary day here, I promise you one thing, one thing is 100 per cent needless to say – we are going to lose football matches,’ Frank said.
‘I haven’t seen a team not losing any football matches. There’s Arsenal, that we are able to’t mention… so I made my first rookie mistake there. Then there’s Preston, and people are the one two teams.’
Frank also hailed Arsenal as the most effective teams on the planet before Spurs’ pre-season friendly in Hong Kong last summer.
‘It’s an amazing challenge besides being our biggest rivals and the primary north London derby outside the UK,’ Frank said.
‘Also they are without delay the most effective teams, I need to say unfortunately, on the planet, we also must be honest.’
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When asked about drinking from an Arsenal-branded cup, Frank said: ‘I definitely didn’t notice it. It will be completely silly of me to take it if I knew.
‘It’s slightly bit sad in football that I must be asked about it. I’d never do something that silly.
‘I feel we’re definitely getting in the fallacious direction if we’d like to fret about me having a cup with one other logo of one other club. In fact, I’d never do this. That’s extremely silly.’
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