Next Tottenham Hotspur manager: Ex-Bayern Munich boss emerges as frontrunner after shock sacking

Julian Nagelsmann has been made the odds-on favourite to take over at Tottenham Hotspur following his shock sacking from Bayern Munich on Thursday night.

Several reports claimed the 35-year-old was to be let go by the Bundesliga club and set to be replaced by former Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel.

Confirmation of Bayern’s decision is expected on Friday. Following the revelation, Nagelsmann has emerged as the frontrunner for the Spurs position, after Antonio Conte’s role at the club was put in further doubt after he slammed 'selfish' players and a trophyless board following a 3-3 draw against Southampton in the Premier League on Saturday.

Spurs threw away a 3-1 lead as the relegation-threatened side salvaged a point in their battle against the drop and put a dent in Tottenham’s top-four hopes. Conte is out of contract this summer and is unlikely to pen a new deal.

Nagelsmann shot to prominence with 1899 Hoffenheim as he was appointed at the club ahead of the 2016-2017 season. He was just 29-years-old when he took charge of his first game.

He moved to RB Leipzig in 2019 before Bayern appointed him as manager in 2021. He won the Bundesliga title last season. The club are one point behind Borussia Dortmund after 25 games this term while Bayern are also in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

Ryan Mason had been the heavy favourite to take over at Spurs on a temporary basis but the market has now shifted in favour of Nagelsmann.

What did Antonio Conte say in his rant?

Conte lashed out at his players for not working as a team following the draw with Southampton and admitted he had been ‘hiding the situation’ behind the scenes at the club for a number of weeks.

He said: “We are 11 players that go into the pitch. I see selfish players, I see players that don’t want to help each other and don’t put their heart.

“Before today I prefer to hide this situation and to try to speak, to try to improve the spirit, the situation, with the words, with a lot of situations. Because about tactical or technical aspect, this is one situation.

“The most important thing if you want to become a strong team, if you want to become competitive if you want to fight to win, is the desire, the fire that you need to have in your eyes, in your heart, and you have to show this in every moment. In every moment.

“We have to play to make our fans proud of us, we have to play to show desire. The fire in your eyes to win. If you have this, for sure, you don’t go out in FA Cup. And today we’d win.

“Maybe previously in the other games, something can change. But here we’re used to it for a long time. The club has the responsibility for the transfer market, every coach that stayed here has the responsibility. And the players? The players? Where are the players?

“In my experience, I can tell you that if you want to be competitive, if you want to fight, you have to improve this aspect. And this aspect, I can tell you, in this moment is really, really low. And I see only 11 players that play for themselves.”

Next Spurs manager odds

Julian Nagelsmann - 4/5

Ryan Mason - 13/8

Mauricio Pochettino - 8/1

Oliver Glasner - 16/1

Thomas Tuchel - 16/1

Thomas Frank - 20/1

Luis Enrique - 25/1