Category Sports News

Tottenham have opened talks with Brentford over their head coach Thomas Frank following the sacking of Ange Postecoglou.

The Dane, 51, has emerged as a leading contender to replace Postecoglou.

Brentford would be entitled to compensation for Frank, with sources indicating it would cost Tottenham more than £10m to extract him from his contract which runs until 2027.

That figure could rise depending on how many members of staff Frank decides to bring with him if he is named Spurs boss.

Postecoglou was sacked on Friday, 16 days after leading them to victory in the Europa League final, their first major trophy for 17 years.

However, it came towards the end of their worst Premier League season, as they finished 17th after losing 22 of their 38 matches.

Frank took over at Brentford in 2018 and guided them into the Premier League, winning the Championship play-off final at Wembley in 2021 and establishing them as a top-flight club on a small budget.

Meanwhile, Tottenham are expected to confirm the departure of chief football officer Scott Munn this week.

The Australian administrator, who joined Spurs in 2023, is understood to have left the north London club amid an internal reshuffle.

Munn was a key figure in the appointment of fellow Australian Postecoglou in June 2023.

Vinai Venkatesham started in his role as new chief executive last Monday, while executive director Donna Cullen left the club.

Munn’s exit is another significant change in what is gearing up to be a crucial summer for Tottenham ahead of next season.

In addition to their search for new men’s and women’s head coaches, Fabio Paratici, the club’s former managing director of football, is in talks over a return to the club once his Fifa ban for alleged financial irregularities linked to his time at Juventus expires in July.

The Italian has been working with Spurs on a consultancy basis during his suspension, with the process towards his permanent reappointment ongoing.

A fan died after falling from the stands during Sunday’s Nations League final between Spain and Portugal in Munich.

The man, from the Garmisch-Partenkirchen district in Bavaria, fell from the middle tier into the lower tier and then on to a staircase in the media area at the Allianz Arena.

He died at the scene from his injuries.

Munich police are investigating but said there was “no evidence to suggest foul play”.

A Uefa statement read: “Despite the best efforts of the medical team, the person sadly passed away at 00:06. Our thoughts are with their loved ones at this difficult time.”

Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said: “I want to show my deepest condolences because a fan has died. It reminds us of what is important in life.”

After six trophy-laden years and only two appearances, goalkeeper Scott Carson will leave Manchester City when his contract expires this summer.

The 39-year-old former England international was part of a City squad that won 11 trophies, including the Treble in 2022-23.

Carson joined on loan from Derby County in 2019 before completing a free transfer in 2021.

While on loan, he saved a penalty in a 4-3 Premier League win over Newcastle United in May 2021.

He came on as a late substitute in a Champions League last-16 second leg draw with Sporting Lisbon in March 2022.

City said in a statement: “During his time at City, Carson has been praised by goalkeeping coach Xabi Mancisidor and peers Ederson and Stefan Ortega Moreno for his work ethic and the effect of his positive attitude amongst the group.”

Last month former City team-mate Kyle Walker, who joined AC Milan on loan in January, said: “To come in every day knowing you’re the third-choice keeper -mentally, I have to take my hat off to him.

“He’s had a fantastic career but to still have the love for football and do what he does, these are the people you need around the place.”

Carson has played for 10 teams since making his Leeds United debut in 2004, including two years in Turkey with Bursaspor.

Everyone needed a lie down after two intense French Open finals.

When Coco Gauff and Carlos Alcaraz both fell flat on the court after winning the respective Roland Garros singles titles, it summed up a chaotic conclusion to a thrilling tournament.

It was a French Open that delivered the lot – and whets the appetite for the Wimbledon, which is just around the corner.

Recent editions of the clay-court Grand Slam tournament have been rather predictable.

Rafael Nadal regularly handed out one-sided beatings on his way to a scarcely-believable 14 triumphs over a 17-year stretch, while Iga Swiatek did similar in her four victories between 2020 and 2024.

So two exciting singles tournaments this year – both going all the way with nobody able to predict which way they would turn – were a fitting finish.

Alcaraz facing Jannik Sinner in the men’s final was not a surprise. But the first meeting between the ATP Tour’s standout pair in a Grand Slam showpiece ended in an all-time classic to further fuel what is fast becoming a must-see rivalry.

Would you rule the Serb great out of winning Wimbledon for an eighth time and matching Roger Federer’s all-time men’s record? Absolutely not.

But you’d think he would need to avoid defending champion Alcaraz and world number one Sinner on the way.

Throwing in a genuine British hope with Jack Draper – who is now fourth in the world – further fuels the excitement for the All England Club.

On the women’s side, Sabalenka will remain favourite despite the painful nature of her defeat by Gauff.

Sabalenka’s powerful game works on any surface and, although she fell agonisingly short of a first clay-court major, you would still back her to win a non-hard court major.

But, with eight different winners in the past eight years, the women’s singles at Wimbledon has been unpredictable in recent years.

Britain’s Draper might have lost earlier than expected when he was beaten by 62nd-ranked Alexander Bublik in the last 16 in Paris, but he has reached a new career high of fourth in the world.

Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti moved up to sixth after reaching the semi-finals, while American Tommy Paul – up to eighth after making the quarter-finals – is the third man in the top 10 to climb to a new career high.

It always felt Iga Swiatek’s reign as the ‘Queen of Clay’ was under threat going into Roland Garros – and so it proved.

The four-time champion’s semi-final exit means she has dropped to seventh in the world – her lowest ranking since the start of 2022.

The biggest leap in the WTA rankings is, of course, 22-year-old Boisson.

Who says the British can’t play on clay?

Norrie, 29, slipped perilously close to dropping out of the top 100 before reaching the Geneva final and then the Roland Garros last 16 for the first time.

Draper reached the fourth round and Jacob Fearnley advanced to the third round on his debut – losing to Norrie – while Katie Boulter and Sonay Kartal both earned their first main-draw wins.

Boulter, Emma Raducanu and Kartal each continued their upward trajectory in the world rankings, with Kartal now a top-50 player for the first time.

Doubles pair Neal Skupski and Joe Salisbury continued their progress a pairing by reaching the men’s final, while Alfie Hewett was runner-up in the wheelchair singles.

Hewett fought back from heartbreak, though, to clinch a sixth successive doubles title with partner Gordon Reid.

A host of LTA grass-court tournaments have already started in the UK.

On Monday, the WTA event at Queen’s – the first time that a women’s tournament has been held at the west London club since 1973 – returns.

Britain’s Boulter, Raducanu and Kartal headline the event, which you can follow across the BBC.

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Tottenham are moving towards appointing Brentford boss Thomas Frank as their new head coach following the sacking of Ange Postecoglou.

Brentford are expecting a formal approach from Tottenham in the coming days but there has been no confirmation so far of dialogue between the two clubs.

The Dane, 51, has emerged as a leading contender to replace Postecoglou.

Brentford would be entitled to compensation for Frank, with sources indicating it would cost Tottenham more than £10m to extract him from his contract which runs until 2027.

That figure could rise depending on how many members of staff Frank decides to bring with him if he is named Spurs boss.

Postecoglou was sacked on Friday, 16 days after leading them to victory in the Europa League final, their first major trophy for 17 years.

However, it came towards the end of their worst Premier League season, as they finished 17th after losing 22 of their 38 matches.

Frank took over at Brentford in 2018 and guided them into the Premier League, winning the Championship play-off final at Wembley in 2021 and establishing them as a top-flight club on a small budget.

Meanwhile, Tottenham are expected to confirm the departure of chief football officer Scott Munn this week.

The Australian administrator, who joined Spurs in 2023, is understood to have left the north London club amid an internal reshuffle.

Munn was a key figure in the appointment of fellow Australian Postecoglou in June 2023.

Vinai Venkatesham started in his role as new chief executive last Monday, while executive director Donna Cullen left the club.

Munn’s exit is another significant change in what is gearing up to be a crucial summer for Tottenham ahead of next season.

In addition to their search for new men’s and women’s head coaches, Fabio Paratici, the club’s former managing director of football, is in talks over a return to the club once his Fifa ban for alleged financial irregularities linked to his time at Juventus expires in July.

The Italian has been working with Spurs on a consultancy basis during his suspension, with the process towards his permanent reappointment ongoing.