Spurs snare Mourinho as Poch axe confounds fans

LONDON - Jose Mourinho was on Wednesday appointed Tottenham's new manager to replace the fired Mauricio Pochettino, with the club languishing 14th in the English Premier League.

The Portuguese former Chelsea, Real Madrid and Manchester United manager has signed a contract until the end of the 2022-23 season, the north London club said in a statement.

Pochettino, 47, transformed Spurs' fortunes after arriving from Southampton in 2014 and, although he failed to win a trophy, took the club to the Champions League final for the first time in its history just six months ago.

But the Argentine was fired on Tuesday, with Tottenham struggling in the league after picking up just three wins from its opening 12 games.

This season Spurs were knocked out of the League Cup by fourth-tier Colchester United and suffered an embarrassing 7-2 defeat at home to Bayern Munich in the Champions League.

"I am excited to be joining a club with such a great heritage and such passionate supporters," said Mourinho, who has won domestic league titles in four different countries - Portugal, England, Italy and Spain.

"The quality in both the squad and the academy excites me. Working with these players is what has attracted me."

Spurs chairman Daniel Levy said: "In Jose we have one of the most successful managers in football. He has a wealth of experience, can inspire teams and is a great tactician.

"He has won honors at every club he has coached. We believe he will bring energy and belief to the dressing room."

Mourinho has won Champions League titles with Porto and Inter Milan.

The 56-year-old won three Premier League titles over two spells in charge of Chelsea and returned to England to manage Manchester United in 2016. United axed Mourinho last December following a poor run of results and he has not worked in management since.

His first match in charge will be Saturday's London derby at West Ham.

Despite their recent poor run, Spurs thrived under Pochettino's leadership. They qualified for the Champions League four times, culminating in a dramatic run to the club's first ever European Cup final in June, which they lost 2-0 to Liverpool in Madrid.

However, domestic results had been on the decline since February. Mourinho arrives with Spurs 11 points outside the top four and just six points above the relegation zone, though they are well placed to reach the last 16 of the Champions League.

Levy said the club was "extremely reluctant" to make the change.

Pochettino's feats are considered all the more remarkable given the tight transfer budget he was afforded by Levy as the club built a new stadium.

Instead, much of Pochettino's success came from nurturing a squad of young players into household names such as Harry Kane, Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen.

"I can't thank this man enough," England international Alli tweeted alongside a picture of himself with Pochettino.

"He's taught me so much and I'm so grateful for everything he's done for me. Good luck and hope to see you again my friend."

The Tottenham Hotspur Supporters' Trust questioned Levy's role in the diminishing results on the pitch.

"Is the manager solely accountable? How much has the board's line on wages and transfers contributed to player unrest and disaffection?" THST said in a statement.

"Poch gave us many of our best moments as supporters, made Tottenham Hotspur a force to be reckoned with again, and forged a strong link with the fans. We will never forget the joy he brought us."