Tottenham have perfect Mauricio Pochettino plan as Thomas Frank replacement found

Thomas Frank has been sacked by Tottenham Hotspur after just eight months in charge, as the club scramble to appoint a successor in the coming days - with Mauricio Pochettino seeing his name tossed into the hat

Tottenham Hotspur could look to appoint John Heitinga on an interim basis until season's end, before welcoming Mauricio Pochettino back to north London this summer following the sacking of Thomas Frank.

The 52-year-old was handed his marching orders by Spurs on Wednesday morning following a lacklustre run of form which saw the club go eight Premier League matches without a win. As a result, the Lilywhites currently sit 16th in the league standings, just five points clear of the relegation zone with 12 games remaining in 2025/26.

An official statement from the club read: "The club has taken the decision to make a change in the men’s head coach position and Thomas Frank will leave today. Thomas was appointed in June 2025, and we have been determined to give him the time and support needed to build for the future together.

"However, results and performances have led the Board to conclude that a change at this point in the season is necessary. Throughout his time at the club, Thomas has conducted himself with unwavering commitment, giving everything in his efforts to move the club forward.

"We would like to thank him for his contribution and wish him every success in the future."

As a result, the club are currently scrambling to appoint a successor to the Dane ahead of Spurs' North London Derby with Arsenal next weekend, with a number of names being linked with the fresh vacancy.

While Roberto De Zerbi has been linked with the role, given he parted ways with Marseille via mutual consent on Wednesday morning, Spurs may opt to take a similar approach to Manchester United in hiring an interim head coach for the remainder of the season.

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That would ultimately allow the club to reassess their options ahead of 2026/27, and potentially bring back Pochettino after this summer's World Cup. The Argentine has reportedly shown an interest in returning to north London, with a source telling TEAMtalk: "For Poch, Spurs is a pull that’s too strong to ignore."

However, a move ahead of the World Cup seems virtually impossible considering the US National team would be owed "one of the biggest financial compensation fees in football history" to let him leave.

That could leave the Spurs top brass contemplating bringing in a short-term head coach in the interim, before hiring Pochettino after this summer's tournament in North America is done and dusted. Heitinga is currently an odds on favourite to take up a short-term role in Tottenham, given he joined the club as an assistant coach to Frank last month.

Given a lack of experience in the managerial game, however, the club could be apprehensive about giving him the reins until season's end - especially in the heat of a relegation battle. After a two-year stint with Jong Ajax and a brief interim role with the first-team in 2023, Heitinga was handed control of the Eredivisie giants in 2025.

He only lasted five months in that job, before he was ultimately sacked in November following a dismal Champions League run, teaming up with Frank a matter of months later.

Keep up to date with our next Tottenham Hotspur head coach blog here.

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