Postecoglou Slams Wenger Over UCL Eligibility Criticism

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou has dismissed Arsene Wenger’s call to prevent Europa League winners from qualifying for the Champions League, describing the suggestion as “crazy” and another example of how people react emotionally to Spurs.

Tottenham are on the verge of reaching the Europa League final, holding a 3-1 advantage over Bodo/Glimt ahead of Thursday’s semi-final second leg in Norway. Should they go on to lift the trophy, they would secure a Champions League spot under UEFA rules that have been in place since the 2014–15 season.

Despite Spurs sitting 16th in the Premier League, and Manchester United only marginally better in 15th, both clubs remain contenders for Champions League qualification via the European route. That has prompted criticism from former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger, now FIFA’s head of global football development, who told beIN Sport this week that UEFA should rethink the rule.

Postecoglou, under pressure after a difficult domestic campaign, responded with sarcasm and bemusement.

“I’ve never heard that before,” he said. “Spurs does crazy things to people. You put the club in any conversation and suddenly people want to tear it down.”

The Australian coach defended the legitimacy of the competition’s existing rules and questioned why the debate is only surfacing now.

“Why is it an issue now? The rule has been there for years. There’s no asterisk saying you have to be doing well in your league too. It’s simple — win the Europa League, you qualify. That’s the rule.”

Although Tottenham’s league form has been poor, Postecoglou argued that winning a European trophy would merit Champions League qualification regardless of their Premier League position.

“Spurs upsets people — I love it. If winning this bothers people, great,” he said with a grin. “I respect Arsene, he’s a legend of the game. But still, Spurs seem to bring something out in everyone.”

Asked if managing Tottenham had driven him to the same emotional extremes, he joked: “Not me — I was talking about everyone else. Apparently, this is now a major debate about our legitimacy if we qualify. It’s funny how it only applies to us and United.”

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou has dismissed Arsene Wenger’s call to prevent Europa League winners from qualifying for the Champions League, describing the suggestion as “crazy” and another example of how people react emotionally to Spurs.

Tottenham are on the verge of reaching the Europa League final, holding a 3-1 advantage over Bodo/Glimt ahead of Thursday’s semi-final second leg in Norway. Should they go on to lift the trophy, they would secure a Champions League spot under UEFA rules that have been in place since the 2014–15 season.

Despite Spurs sitting 16th in the Premier League, and Manchester United only marginally better in 15th, both clubs remain contenders for Champions League qualification via the European route. That has prompted criticism from former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger, now FIFA’s head of global football development, who told beIN Sport this week that UEFA should rethink the rule.

Postecoglou, under pressure after a difficult domestic campaign, responded with sarcasm and bemusement.

“I’ve never heard that before,” he said. “Spurs does crazy things to people. You put the club in any conversation and suddenly people want to tear it down.”

The Australian coach defended the legitimacy of the competition’s existing rules and questioned why the debate is only surfacing now.

“Why is it an issue now? The rule has been there for years. There’s no asterisk saying you have to be doing well in your league too. It’s simple — win the Europa League, you qualify. That’s the rule.”

Although Tottenham’s league form has been poor, Postecoglou argued that winning a European trophy would merit Champions League qualification regardless of their Premier League position.

“Spurs upsets people — I love it. If winning this bothers people, great,” he said with a grin. “I respect Arsene, he’s a legend of the game. But still, Spurs seem to bring something out in everyone.”

Asked if managing Tottenham had driven him to the same emotional extremes, he joked: “Not me — I was talking about everyone else. Apparently, this is now a major debate about our legitimacy if we qualify. It’s funny how it only applies to us and United.”