English club Tottenham announced on Monday that Portuguese coach José Mourinho and his entire coaching staff have been “relieved of their duties” 17 months after arriving at the ‘Spurs’ to replace Argentinian Mauricio Pochettino.
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“The club can announce today that José Mourinho and his coaching staff, Joao Sacramento, Nuno Santos, Carlos Lalín and Giovanni Cerra, have been relieved of their duties,” the statement read.
Tottenham, the Premier League leaders in mid-December, saw a significant drop in their performance and are now in seventh place, five points behind qualifying for the next Champions League.
The Portuguese coach was also criticized for his team’s play, and there were rumors of tension in the dressing room.
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“José and his coaching staff have been by our side during one of the most difficult times for the club. José is a great professional who has shown tremendous resistance during the pandemic,” said Tottenham president Daniel Levy, quoted in the press release.
The timing of the announcement is surprising, as Tottenham will play a crucial game on Wednesday in their battle for European places against Southampton in a game that was postponed on matchday 29.
On Sunday this week he has to play a final, the League Cup against Manchester City at Wembley Stadium in London.
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Mourinho is currently being replaced by Ryan Mason, former Tottenham player and coach of the U-19 team.
Millionaire settlement
According to The Independent, an English newspaper, the Portuguese, who had two more years on his contract, gets 15 million pounds settlement, in relation to the team’s position in the competition.