Ange Postecoglou makes emphatic comment over Tottenham future with job on the line | Football | Sport

Ange Postecoglou has insisted he won’t walk away from Tottenham regardless of the result in their Europa League final with Manchester United. The future of the Aussie boss appears on the line ahead of the game in Bilbao, with Spurs looking to salvage an otherwise wretched season.

The club are 17th in the table, and have already been confined to their worst ever Premier League finish. Their domestic form has led to speculation that the ex-Celtic man could depart this summer regardless of the outcome on Wednesday. However, in his pre-match press conference, he hit back at suggestions he will walk away if his team secures a European trophy.

“No, I don’t think my job is done here,” he replied, when asked if the clash would be his last in charge. “I think a trophy would accelerate that and I think there’s a lot still to be done. I still think there is a lot of work to be done.

“That is quite obvious with the challenges we’ve had this year, but I think there is some reasoning in the context of that but also there has been some growth that I would like to see through. Whether that happens or not, that’s not important right now but I don’t think this job is finished.”

Postecoglou, 59, has endured a spiky relationship with the media this season. Indeed, he hit out at one reporter who suggested he was at risk of ‘ridicule’ if Spurs were beaten in Spain.

“That depends on your outlook but I’ll tell you one thing, irrespective of tomorrow, I’m not a clown and never will be,” he said. “You really disappointed me that you used such terminology.

“You’re describing a person that for 26 years, without any favours from anyone, has worked his way to a position where he is leading out a club in a European final. For you to suggest that somehow us not being successful means that I’m a clown, I’m not sure how to answer that question.”

Postecoglou is aiming to become the first manager to lead Spurs to a major trophy since they won the League Cup under Juande Ramos in 2008. The club’s last European title came in the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup in 1984.