Potential Tottenham boss claimed he was sacked for trying to win trophy

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Tottenham Hotspur are searching for a new manager having parted ways with Jose Mourinho on Monday morning.

Ryan Mason is in charge until the summer, but there are a number of names being linked given that Mason is unlikely to land the job.

The Athletic report that Tottenham have picked out Athletic Blibao boss Marcelino as a target and have even made contact with his representatives.

Spurs fans may want a big-name appointment, but they could do a lot worse than Marcelino, who has impressed in La Liga in recent years.

The 55-year-old won more than half of his games in charge of both Villarreal and then Valencia, and has already guided Athletic to a cup final despite only taking the job in January.

Many were baffled when Valencia decided to sack Marcelino in September 2019, and he opened up about the situation.

Marcelino told AS that he felt he was sacked for trying to win the Copa del Rey, as the club’s hierarchy had repeatedly told him to discount the competition and focus on other things.

“I am absolutely sure that the trigger for this situation was the Copa del Rey. During the season, we received direct and indirect messages that we had to discount it (the Copa). The fans wanted to fight for it and the players too, and they had the conviction to win it. The coaching staff wanted to fight and win the Copa.

“They didn’t tell me why they didn’t want the Copa, only that it was a minor tournament and that I could be putting the main goal (Champions League qualification) at risk. Winning the Copa was the trigger for this situation,” he added.

Marcelino ignored the advice and won the trophy for Valencia, beating Barcelona 2-1 in the final – and that kind of desire to win silverware has to be appealing to Spurs fans.