Postecoglou fulfils his prophecy as Tottenham wins Europa League

Australian manager Ange Postecoglou has brought his recent prophecy* to life in spectacular fashion.

His team Tottenham Hotspur defeated Manchester United 1-0 in the Europa League Final in Bilbao, Spain, on Thursday morning (AEST) to claim their first trophy since 2008.

A goal in the 42nd minute to Brennan Johnson won the match as he poked the ball over the line when United couldn’t clear a ball deep into their box.

Tottenham did it without their first-choice midfield — James Maddison missed the semi-final and final, and Dejan Kulusevski was ruled out of the decider with injury.

Spurs captain and star striker Heung-min Son had only just returned from injury and played half an hour in the second half.

There were some nailbiting moments in the second half, including when Tottenham defender Micky van de Ven produced a goal line clearance to prevent Man United from scoring in a stunning acrobatic effort.

But perhaps even more astounding was Postecoglou’s prophecy of the win. The Australian said he had a habit of winning trophies and it turned out he was right.

The 59-year-old famously declared on the eve of this season: “Usually in my second season I win things”.

“I’ll correct myself,” he said. “I don’t usually win things – I always win things in my second year. Nothing’s changed. I’ve said it now. I don’t say things unless I believe them.”

Tottenham players walked around the stadium in Bilbao holding up a banner of Postecoglou with his iconic* quote written on it.

Postecoglou has also become the first ever Australian manager to win a major European football title.

The Europa League title secures Tottenham a spot in next season’s UEFA Champions League.

Postecoglou has now won trophies with Tottenham, the Brisbane Roar in the A-League, the Asian Cup with the Socceroos, and league titles with Yokahoma FC in Japan and Celtic in Scotland.

Liverpool striker Mo Salah tweeted*: “He did say he’d win in his second season. Congratulations!”

It remains to be seen if this victory will be enough to prevent Postecoglou from being sacked following a dire* Premier League campaign that has Spurs 17th on the table, one spot clear of relegation*.

But for now, Postecoglou can bask in the glory of a trophy and the fact he proved himself right.

Mark Bosnich said on Stan Sport: “I think it’s the greatest achievement of all time by an Australian coach. To go over there (in Europe you are looked on as having to prove yourself).”

Craig Foster added: “It was a masterpiece but a masterpiece in a very different way. That’s what’s beautiful about it”.

“Ange didn’t need to prove anymore that he can produce wonderful, attacking football,” Foster said.

“In fact, he almost had to prove the opposite. He has tried to give Spurs a winning mentality*.

“He can walk away and say this team knows how to win. They shut down Manchester United. No one really thought United was going to score in those last 30 minutes.”

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GLOSSARY

• prophecy: foreseeing the future
• iconic: well-known, symbolic and representative of a sport or particular culture
• tweeted: posted on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter
• dire: very serious or urgent
• relegation: being demoted to a lower division of the league
• mentality: way of thinking

EXTRA READING
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Young Socceroos win Asian Cup
Massive Football Australia boost

QUICK QUIZ
1. Which season did Postecoglou say he would win in?
2. Which team did Tottenham beat in the Europa League final?
3. Who scored the winning goal?
4. What was the final score of the game?
5. What year did Tottenham last win a trophy before this win?

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CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Design a logo
Design a logo for a special team shirt that celebrates Ange’s quote and what you think it really means for the team.

Time: allow at least 30 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Visual Communication Design, Personal and Social Capability

2. Extension
What qualities do you think make a great coach like Ange Postecoglou? Write a description.

Time: allow at least 25 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Health and Physical Education, Personal and Social Capability

VCOP ACTIVITY
Read this!
A headline on an article – or a title on your text – should capture the attention of the audience, telling them to read this now. So choosing the perfect words for a headline or title is very important.

Create three new headlines for the events that took place in this article. Remember, what you write and how you write it will set the pace for the whole text, so make sure it matches.

Read out your headlines to a partner and discuss what the article will be about based on the headline you created. Discuss the tone and mood you set in just your few, short words. Does it do the article justice? Will it capture the audience’s attention the way you hoped? Would you want to read more?

Consider how a headline or title is similar to using short, sharp sentences throughout your text. They can be just as important as complex ones. Go through the last text you wrote and highlight any short, sharp sentences that capture the audience.