For Tottenham Hotspur, it’s back to the drawing board, again, in the search for their new manager. Just when you thought this coaching search had hit rock bottom, the bedrock drops out, and the north London club sinks even lower.
For Spurs Chairman Daniel Levy, well, you just could not have looked any worse with this endeavor than you do right now. Gennaro Gattuso, the “new front-runner” won’t be taking the reigns at White Hart Lane, so now the process restarts with no new clear front-runner. Is it any wonder why Harry Kane is so desperate to leave?
Gennaro Gattuso WON’T be next Tottenham manager, confirmed as per @David_Ornstein. It’s never been a done deal, agreed or set to be signed, as reported last night. ??? #THFC
Spurs met with Gattuso agent, positive feelings – then decided against appointing him. Search restarts.
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 18, 2021
Tottenham sacked Jose Mourinho on April 18, and since then, we’ve seen them swing and miss on Antonio Conte, Paulo Fonseca and a stunning Mauricio Pochettino return. At this point, maybe they should have just taken the interim label of Ryan Mason?
Gattuso was probably going to be a poor fit anyway, given that he lasted just 22 days in his last gig, leading Fiorentina. And the reason his tenure was so short? He was angered by not being backed in the transfer market by club brass, so you can imagine how this might go at a club where they haven’t exactly been known for splashing the cash on new players in recent years.
The main reason Gattuso to Spurs fell apart though was supporter backlash. Hashtags trended online as Tottenham fans took to social media to voice their displeasure with the concept oif hiring a man they believe could be sexist and/or homophobic.
“The Premier League’s emphasis on inclusivity with a focus on the LGBTQ+ community did not fit with his 2008 comments, for example, that churches should not be required to hold same-sex marriages.”
So there were a lot of reasons not to like this concept in the first place, and you have to wonder right now if new club director of football Fabio Paratici is thinking to himself, “what have I gotten myself into?”
If you’re an Arsenal fan, or somebody who hates Tottenham, you’re probably laughing at all of this right now.
However, you still have to feel for Spurs supporters. This is a proud club with a solid history, and they deserve so much better than this.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank, partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune.
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