Ange Postecoglou snapped at a journalist for asking about Manchester United following Tottenham's 2-0 Europa League win over Bodo/Glimt on Thursday night.Goals from Dominic Solanke and Pedro Porro sent Spurs through to their first European final since 2019.But Postecoglou was far from happy when he was asked about United, rather than his own team.Watch the full press conference above, including the 59-year-old's furious outburst.
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00:00Far side, please.
00:22Congratulations, and it just felt like a night when everything went to plan, didn't it?
00:26Yeah, I mean, I thought the players were outstanding.
00:34They were well prepared tonight.
00:36The staff did a great job in sort of making sure the boys were really clear about what
00:39we needed to do, and they executed it perfectly.
00:43It's been well chronicled over the last few days.
00:47It's a difficult place to come to.
00:49They've got a really imposing home record, not just with wins, but with goals.
00:53And, you know, I thought the lads just handled it really well, as they have throughout
00:58this sort of European campaign, particularly the knockout stages.
01:01And credit to them for they did an outstanding job.
01:06Okay.
01:07Great players there, but how proud are you, after everything you've gone through this
01:12season, to be leading this side out in a Europa League final?
01:15Yeah, I guess, yeah, it's a great opportunity.
01:24You know, it's kind of a fourth year in European football.
01:29There are plenty of people who have been in European football for a lot longer than I have.
01:32They haven't got to a final, so you kind of understand that, you know, it's something
01:37that you need to kind of appreciate, and I certainly did that.
01:41I haven't really thought a lot about it, because obviously the focus is on tonight, but more
01:46importantly, it's just really sort of pleas for the players and the staff, and particularly
01:52our supporters.
01:54You know, there's a few hundred here tonight who, sure, will remember this night, and thousands
02:00back home who, you know, have given us some real hope and, you know, something to dream
02:05about, that we can do something special this year.
02:06And congratulations.
02:13Can I get your reaction to just getting united in the final, obviously, an all-English game?
02:18The stakes are high, obviously, both of you have struggled domestically this season, but
02:21it's a chance to win the trophy and get back into the Champions League as well.
02:26Yeah, well, that's going to upset a lot of people, isn't it?
02:28There'll be debates now raging.
02:30I've heard the latest one is that neither of us will be able to get a trophy if we win.
02:34We're just going to take a team photo because we're not worthy.
02:37I mean, who cares if we're struggling in the league?
02:39Why is that important when, if it's so easy to get to a final, then why doesn't everyone
02:47who finishes in the top three do it?
02:49I mean, it's a separate thing.
02:50It's got nothing to do with league form.
02:51We understand our league form hasn't been great.
02:53We understand the struggles we've had.
02:56And a lot of them are because of the situation we've been in.
02:59But how that diminishes the achievement of getting to a final.
03:03Like I said, this club and others have finished, you know, in first, second or third in the
03:09Premier League or, you know, and haven't made finals.
03:12So, you know, why should that be diminished?
03:15I couldn't care less who's struggling, who's not.
03:17It's going to be, I think both us and Manchester United have earned the right to be there.
03:21I think we've probably beaten teams that will be in the Champions League next year on our
03:27road to getting there.
03:28So, I'm looking forward to it.
03:30It should be a great game.
03:31Tom.
03:33And we know how much you love free-flowing football and attacking teams.
03:38How much satisfaction do you take from tonight?
03:40The kind of resilience and organisation, gutsiness?
03:43Mate, I love winning.
03:45That's all I've done my whole career.
03:47You know, people are dismissive of it, but that's fine.
03:49But I love winning and I love the way the boys, like I said, clearly understood what
03:54we needed to do tonight.
03:55The key thing for us is not to allow them to get any sort of rhythm in their game.
03:58You know, they like to play at a quick tempo because, you know, they're used to the surface.
04:02They take advantage of the opposition being uncertain on it.
04:05But I thought our press was just outstanding and that we never allowed them really to get
04:09into our half with any sort of clean possession.
04:12And, you know, it's a credit to the boys that they understood what the sort of task was
04:17tonight and then we still had the quality to score the goals we did.
04:21Matt?
04:22United have constantly said that this competition won't save their season.
04:28Managers said it and players have said it.
04:31Would it save Tottenham's season?
04:32Is it different for Tottenham?
04:33Why do I care what Man United think?
04:35Why is that relevant to me?
04:38OK, so ask the Man United manager why he says that.
04:41Me, I've said all along that this is important.
04:43OK, so to rephrase it, what does it mean for Tottenham's season then?
04:48Well, to be fair, you know better than me.
04:51You've followed this club probably even more than I have.
04:53What do you think a trophy would do for this club?
04:56Exactly right.
04:57So the question answers itself.
05:00It's like it doesn't need me to...
05:02But you know what?
05:03What's happening right now is that people are fearing that, that it actually might happen.
05:07And because it might happen, let's see how we can tear it down somehow,
05:10diminish it somehow by, you know, saying that it's been a poor season
05:14and it's, you know, we don't deserve this or we don't deserve that
05:16or somehow comparing us to Manchester United.
05:19Maybe if we had Manchester United's success, maybe, I'd have a different view.
05:24But I came into this role, like you said, you know better than me.
05:29I could have been sitting here exactly the same time in fifth position.
05:35And I guarantee you the commentary around me would be,
05:37well, that's great, Ange, but this club needs to win something.
05:41That's exactly what everyone would be saying.
05:43So, of course it's massive.
05:45Of course it is.
05:46Because you have to frame it against what, you know,
05:50this club has been through over the last 15, 20 years,
05:53what the supporters have been through.
05:55Man United have got their own, you know, journey to go on.
05:59You know, and maybe if they go 15 years without winning something,
06:01they'll change their perspective on things as well.
06:04Jacob.
06:04United is obviously a team that kind of have a knack of winning trophies
06:10in the last couple of years.
06:11But when you see the kind of professionalism and resilience
06:14that your team have shown in the away games in Europe,
06:16do you see that they're ready mentally for this final?
06:20Look, it's, you know, again, sort of a final is a kind of unique
06:25sort of standalone game.
06:28It's, you know, it's a bit different to everything that you do
06:30in the build-up to it.
06:32So, but, yeah, if you're talking about resilience and adversity,
06:37this group of players has had it in bucket loads this year.
06:40We're still dealing with it.
06:42You know, we're losing players, key players.
06:44And yet, you know, they've still found a way to stick together,
06:48to believe in what we're doing.
06:49And, you know, that gives me the belief that, you know,
06:55the challenge we have of trying to overcome a, you know,
06:58a sort of tough opponent in a massive game.
07:03I know the lads have got it within them to rise to that.
07:07George.
07:09Hi, Ant.
07:09Kieran, many congratulations.
07:11You've spoke many times about growing up
07:13and watching English football,
07:14and in particular European finals with your dad.
07:17What do you think your dad would have made of his son
07:19being happy in the European final?
07:25Yeah, look, I mean, it's, I don't know.
07:28There will be a time when I reflect on all this stuff.
07:30But, you know, it's just, I mean, I've got, you know,
07:34I've got friends who I grew up with who are now, you know,
07:36and they're probably booking tickets to Bill Bauer that, you know,
07:40for all intents and purposes, I'll be on the touchline,
07:44but almost with the imposter syndrome, I should be in the stands with them,
07:47you know, because that's where I've come from.
07:50But it's, you know, it's my fourth year in European football
07:54and I get the opportunity to lead a team out in a European final.
07:57I think that's, you know, something I will look back on,
08:00but, you know, I'd rather look back on it fondly
08:03with a positive memory on the day.
08:04But, yeah, not just my dad, my family.
08:10My wife was amongst the few hundred here today, you know,
08:14cheering on with the away end and credit to her.
08:18And two boys was a school night,
08:19but I promised them a trip to Bill Bauer if we got through.
08:21So there's so many people that, you know, will, you know,
08:24who take the knocks and feel it more than I do.
08:30But, you know, I'm sure they're proud of me tonight,
08:35but more importantly, I'm just pleased I can always give back
08:38to them who made the most sacrifices.
08:41Thank you very much.