Premier League
DOWNBEAT JOSE MOURINHO IS PICTURED LEAVING SPURS’ TRAINING BASE FOR THE LAST TIME
Jose Mourinho has been spotted leaving Tottenham’s training ground hours after the axe was wielded on his tumultuous reign.
The 58-year-old was dismissed on Monday morning with the club on course to miss out on the Champions League and having exited the Europa League in humiliating fashion.
The 2-2 draw at Everton proved to be the final straw for Daniel Levy and now, soon after being told of his sacking, Mourinho has been snapped being driven away from the Hotspur Way complex for the final time.
The former Manchester United and Real Madrid coach, who has been sacked four times in England, was seen in the passenger seat of a sleek vehicle.
It looked as though dismay was etched across the face of the crestfallen Special One as he left.
He was seen leaving the Spurs training complex just after 3.30pm on Monday morning and arrived back in his west London home later on Monday afternoon.
Mourinho was seen taking his belongings from his Spurs office back into his home with goalkeeper coach Nuno Santos helping him. The items included several large images of the Portuguese coach’s career highlights.
As he arrived back at his home, Mourinho refused to open up on his Spurs exit, but insisted he is ready to take another job in football straight away.
He told Sky Sports: ‘No need for breaks and (recharging) batteries. I’m always in football.’
When asked by Sky Sports whether it was unfair he had been sacked just before a cup final, he stopped for a moment and grinned but made no further comment.
The bombshell announcement was made by Tottenham less than a week before they take on Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final.
Mourinho also departs as the fallout continues following confirmation that the north London club will join a number of top-flight peers in the European Super League.
Mourinho will walk away with up to £20million as part of a hefty compensation package.
The amount will not surpass that figure, sources have said, due to the performance-related clauses written into his contract.
Mourinho will be placed on gardening leave, which means Tottenham will continue to pay him as normal until he takes up another job elsewhere.
Tottenham are seventh in the Premier League which, combined with failures in Europe, effectively means Mourinho is not entitled to his full compensation.
A statement confirming the sacking read: ‘The Club can today announce that Jose Mourinho and his coaching staff Joao Sacramento, Nuno Santos, Carlos Lalin and Giovanni Cerra have been relieved of their duties.’
‘Jose and his coaching staff have been with us through some of our most challenging times as a Club,’ chairman Levy said.
‘Jose is a true professional who showed enormous resilience during the pandemic. On a personal level I have enjoyed working with him and regret that things have not worked out as we both had envisaged.
‘He will always be welcome here and we should like to thank him and his coaching staff for their contribution.’
Ryan Mason, the former Tottenham and Hull City midfielder, will take the reins, assisted by Chris Powell, until the end of the season.
Mason, 29, took charge of first-team training on Monday.
The search for Mourinho’s permanent successor is now underway.
RB Leipzig boss Julian Nagelsmann has been identified as the favourite to take over.
Tottenham have been long-term admirers of Nagelsmann, who is widely deemed as one of the most talented young coaches in world football.
It is believed that Naglesmann, who is only 33, was under consideration for the Spurs hotseat after Pochettino’s departure in 2019, although Mourinho was later handed the job.
Leipzig will not allow Nagelsmann to leave this summer, however, without receiving a compensation package worth £17m.
Former Manchester United and Real Madrid coach Mourinho’s last game in charge at Tottenham came in the 2-2 draw against Everton on Friday.
Despite Harry Kane’s leveller at Goodison Park, the dropped points dealt a major blow to their hopes of securing a spot in the Champions League.
Sources have claimed that the underwhelming display proved to be the final straw.
Talisman and vice-captain Harry Kane paid tribute to Mourinho after the news broke.
‘Thank you for everything boss,’ Kane wrote on social media. ‘A pleasure to have worked together. I wish you all the best for your next chapter.’
The cup final next weekend represents a chance for Spurs to lift silverware for the first time since their triumph in the same competition in 2008.
Mourinho will no longer lead them out at Wembley, though, with little tangible progress made over the last season and a half.
He could only guide Tottenham to a sixth-placed finish during his first campaign in charge, albeit after taking over halfway through with the team languishing in 14th.
This term has been a step back, with the north London outfit knocked out of Europe in humiliating fashion by Dinamo Zagreb and reeling from other poor results.
For the first time in his managerial career, Mourinho was made to suffer 10 league defeats in a single season.
The on-field misery also saw Tottenham drop 20 points from winning positions this season. No other top-flight club has lost more when leading.
His options to take up another top job are likely to be dwindling after his latest sacking, having now been shown the exit door four times in England.
With Chelsea (twice), Manchester United and now Tottenham all choosing to axe him, Mourinho is sure to be running out of choices.
He has enjoyed great success in Italy, Spain and Portugal, so could be forced to take a job in one of those countries and move away from England.
-Daily Mail
Premier League
Arsenal Paint London Red with Premier League Victory Parade Despite Champions League Heartbreak
Thousands of jubilant Arsenal supporters flooded the streets of north London on Sunday as the club celebrated its first Premier League title in 22 years, putting aside the disappointment of losing the UEFA Champions League final just 24 hours earlier.
The celebrations came less than a day after Arsenal suffered a penalty shootout defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final in Budapest. Yet the setback did little to dampen the spirits of the club’s faithful, who turned out in huge numbers to honour a historic domestic triumph.
Players and coaching staff paraded through north London aboard an open-top bus, proudly displaying the Premier League trophy that Arsenal had finally reclaimed for the first time since Arsène Wenger’s legendary “Invincibles” side lifted it in the 2003-04 season.
Arsenal had wrapped up the title before the final round of fixtures after establishing an unassailable lead over defending champions Manchester City, who eventually finished seven points adrift of Mikel Arteta’s side.
The league crown marked Arsenal’s first major trophy since Arteta guided the club to FA Cup success in 2020 during his debut season as manager. It also ended years of frustration after the Gunners had finished runners-up in the Premier League in each of the previous three seasons.
Red flares, fireworks and the sound of vuvuzelas filled the air as supporters celebrated a long-awaited return to the summit of English football.
“We’re not European champions, but we are champions of England, and that’s what matters right now,” said Arsenal supporter Julien Guillenenat. “We’re happy to celebrate with everyone.”
Another fan, 44-year-old Mathieu Garnier, believes the Premier League triumph has finally removed the psychological burden that had weighed heavily on the team.
“Three years in a row we finished second, and now that pressure is gone,” he said. “These players are going to be flying next season. I really believe that.”
Adding to the festivities was Arsenal’s women’s team, who joined the celebrations after their successful FIFA Champions Cup campaign this season.
Midfielder Declan Rice, signed from West Ham United in 2023 for a club-record £105 million, said the title triumph had silenced many of the club’s critics.
“People were pointing and laughing at us before,” Rice told Sky Sports. “What happened? They’re not laughing anymore. I love this team, I love this manager, and to see the joy we’ve brought to the fans is incredible.
“Next season we’re coming back for more.”
Despite the pain of falling short in Europe, many Arsenal supporters remain optimistic that the club will soon challenge again for continental glory.
Twenty-two-year-old fan Theo Grant believes the Champions League disappointment will only strengthen the squad’s resolve.
“Honestly, this loss will give the players even more motivation,” he said. “We’ll be back. I believe we’ll reach the final again next season.”
For Arsenal supporters, however, Sunday was not about what might have been in Europe. It was about celebrating the end of a 22-year wait to be crowned champions of England once again.
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Tottenham Hotspur lost 2-1 at Chelsea on Tuesday and still face the risk of relegation from the Premier League in their final game of the season this weekend after goals either side of halftime from the home side’s Enzo Fernandez and Andrey Santos.
Fernandez let rip with a dipping shot from over 25 metres that Antonin Kinsky could not get close to in the 18th minute, electrifying the atmosphere at Stamford Bridge as the home fans revelled in the misery of their North London rivals.
The Argentina midfielder turned provider for Chelsea’s second goal in the 67th, cushioning a high ball into the feet of Santos, who scored from close range.
Richarlison got one back for Spurs in the 74th minute, but the defeat means Tottenham remain two points above West Ham United, who currently occupy the last relegation spot.
However, Spurs have a much better goal difference, meaning a draw at home to Everton on Sunday would all but guarantee their Premier League survival.
Chelsea, fresh from announcing former Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso as their next manager after a limp 2025/26 campaign, climbed to eighth place, which offers a berth in the UEFA Conference League next season
The Blues, who lost to Manchester City in the FA Cup final on Saturday, are one point behind Brighton & Hove Albion, who currently occupy the last of the Europa League spots.
Spurs had only themselves to blame for Tuesday’s defeat.
After Mathys Tel hit the post with a header in the 11th minute, they allowed Chelsea to dominate until Richarlison’s goal raised their hopes of rescuing the point they needed.
Substitute James Maddison looked sure to equalise in the 84th, but Chelsea defender Jorrel Hato stretched out a leg to block his angled shot.
The win was Chelsea’s first in the Premier League since March 4, giving their fans something to celebrate after a miserable run that included six consecutive league defeats.
It also means Spurs have only won once at Stamford Bridge since 1990.
-Reuters
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Arsenal F.C. have been crowned Premier League champions for the first time in 22 years after Manchester City F.C. were held to a 1-1 draw by AFC Bournemouth, ending the most dramatic title race of recent seasons and completing a remarkable transformation under manager Mikel Arteta.
The title triumph marks Arsenal’s first league championship since the legendary “Invincibles” side led by Arsène Wenger went unbeaten throughout the 2003-04 campaign.
For Arteta, it represents the crowning moment of a rebuilding project that began when he replaced Unai Emery in December 2019. The Spaniard inherited a struggling Arsenal side but gradually rebuilt the club into genuine title contenders, guiding them to second-place finishes in each of the previous three seasons before finally ending Manchester City’s dominance.
Arsenal appeared in danger of suffering another late collapse after surrendering a nine-point lead earlier in the campaign, particularly following City’s crucial victory over them at the Etihad Stadium in April.
However, the momentum shifted again when City stumbled with a draw against Everton, allowing Arsenal to seize control of the race.
The North London club responded impressively, winning four consecutive matches without conceding a goal, including Monday’s tense 1-0 victory over Burnley F.C. that piled pressure on Pep Guardiola’s side heading into their trip to Bournemouth.
City’s failure to secure victory finally confirmed Arsenal as champions, triggering emotional celebrations among supporters gathered around the Emirates Stadium.
Fans watching the decisive match in nearby pubs poured onto the streets at the final whistle, while thousands more marched toward the Emirates within minutes of the title being secured.
Arteta had admitted before the match that he expected it to be difficult watching City’s game because of the enormous stakes involved, but the Spaniard ultimately witnessed the completion of one of the most significant managerial achievements in modern Arsenal history.
The Gunners will officially receive the Premier League trophy after their final game of the season against Crystal Palace F.C. at Selhurst Park on Sunday.
Arsenal’s triumph could yet become part of an even greater achievement.
The club now have the opportunity to complete a historic double when they face Paris Saint-Germain F.C. in the UEFA Champions League final on May 30.
Only five English clubs have previously managed to win both the league title and the European Cup in the same season, with Manchester City the last side to achieve the feat in 2023.
The title success also signals a changing of the guard in English football.
With Guardiola expected to leave Manchester City after a decade in charge, Arteta — once his assistant at City — is poised to become the longest-serving manager across England’s top four divisions, underlining how dramatically his status has risen since arriving at Arsenal less than seven years ago.
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