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Son sends very clear Ange Postecoglou message to Spurs chairman Daniel Levy
The Tottenham Hotspur captain has made his feeling on Ange Postecoglou's future at the north London club very clear after their Europa League final
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Son Heung-min has made his feelings on Ange Postecoglou's future very clear after Tottenham lifted the Europa League trophy to end 17 years without silverware.
An understrength Spurs side battled to overcome Manchester United 1-0 in Bilbao after Brennan Johnson forced Luke Shaw into an own goal in the San Mames Stadium. After the game, Son wept tears of joy and relief before he became the first Tottenham captain in 41 years to lift a European trophy.
"Amazing feeling. It feels like a dream come true and the hard work, the commitment I put in my whole life … it finally pays off. Yeah, very, very happy, the luckiest guy in the world, the happiest guy in the world," he said
Even though Son was named on the bench by Postecoglou, coming on for the final half an hour to help Tottenham record their historic win, the South Korean star, who was named skipper by the Australian when he joined, had no hesitation in saying what he thinks should happen with his head coach despite the speculation surrounding him and a decision in the coming weeks by chairman Daniel Levy.
"He won the trophy. Nobody did it, so …. look, it’s not up to me or the players, but we just have to look at the facts, at the fact that we haven’t won in 17 years, today is the day we finally won it. It’s the manager who wins the trophy. So we see what’s going to happen," he said.
Son admitted that he was understandably disappointed not to start the game in Spain but this was not a day to think about himself, only the greater good for Tottenham Hotspur.
"Look, you always want to start the game. This was not a stage where you can be selfish. You just have to think about what the team needs and of course I was ready to do it," he said. "Obviously, I was a bit disappointed, of course, but the most important thing is that we won the trophy and then I was thinking that I was going to lift the trophy with my hands.
"So credit to all the boys that came on and also all the boys that were not involved tonight but who have contributed to us getting here. It was difficult but I was committed to the team. Credit to every single player."
Ahead of the game, Postecoglou had got video messages from the players' families to show to them in the team hotel. football.london understands that the Spurs boss went about having the messages prepared and kept secret from the squad in order to have the maximum impact with only a handful of people aware it was being organised. It certainly made an impact on Son.
"Family is all we care about, the most important [thing] in my life. Their commitment, their love from day one," he said. "Since I started football my family were always there. Look, even when I watched the video from family members I was getting emotional. I desperately wanted to win.
"Not because of me, I just wanted to win for the family. People think players are deserving of this trophy but it’s the families who deserve this for their sacrifice, their commitment."
The Tottenham captain also paid tribute to the fans, both in N17 and at home in Korea, in as he placed a big missing part of his 10 years at Spurs into the jigsaw of his career.
"To complete that final piece of the puzzle I feel the fans played the biggest part. I don't think I played a big part. When times were hard, when it was great or when it was difficult, the fans who supported me throughout I was able to finally complete that puzzle." he said.
"I can't tell you what kind of puzzle it is, but the people who helped complete this puzzle are the fans and all Korean people. I'd like to express my thanks to all of them and I promise to Korean people I will not let them down and I will give my all as a player."
They only went and did it! Click here to listen to a special episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham on Spurs' Europa League triumph.
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 — A look at some of the top men at the French Open, which starts at Roland-Garros on Sunday, with money-line odds via BetMGM Sportsbook:
Jannik Sinner
Seeding: 1
Career-Best Ranking: 1
Country: Italy
Age: 23
2025 Record: 12-1
2025 Titles: 1
Career Titles: 19
Grand Slam Titles: 3 — Australian Open (2: 2024, 2025), U.S. Open (1: 2024)
Last 5 French Opens: 2024-Lost in Semifinals, 2023-2nd Round, 2022-4th, 2021-4th, 2020-QF
Aces: Returned at the Italian Open from a three-month doping ban he agreed to after the World Anti-Doping Agency appealed his exoneration in the case. ... Reached the Rome final but 26-match winning streak dating to last season ended with loss to Carlos Alcaraz. ... Won his second consecutive Australian Open in January. ... Lost to Alcaraz in five sets in last year's semifinals in Paris.
He Said It: “I’m 23 years old, and I am not perfect. I know that I have things still to improve. I have certain areas where I can get better. That’s why we work.”
Read All About It: Jannik Sinner's playing style draws comparisons to Novak Djokovic
Odds Are: +190
Carlos Alcaraz
Seeding: 2
Career-Best Ranking: 1
Country: Spain
Age: 22
2025 Record: 30-5
2025 Titles: 3
Career Titles: 19
Grand Slam Titles: 4 — French Open (1: 2024), Wimbledon (2: 2023, 2024), U.S. Open (1: 2022)
Last 5 French Opens: 2024-Won Championship, 2023-SF, 2022-QF, 2021-3rd, 2020-Did Not Play
Aces: His title at Roland-Garros a year ago made him, at 21, the youngest man in tennis history to win at least one major championship on three surfaces. ... 4-0 in Grand Slam finals. ... Got an Olympic silver medal after losing the final to Novak Djokovic in Paris. ... Missed the Madrid Open with problems in both legs but then won the Italian Open, beating Sinner for the title. ... Tweaked his service motion in the offseason to try to get more precision and a consistent rhythm.
He Said It: When you feel like you can’t miss, you can do whatever you should do, everything is going to be in — that’s the most satisfaction … that I feel on court. You hit great shots, running forehand, drop shots, volley, serve and volley. Everything that you want to do, you feel like it’s going to be right.
Read All About It: Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have a real rivalry atop men's tennis
Odds Are: +105
Alexander Zverev
Seeding: 3
Career-Best Ranking: 2
Country: Germany
Age: 28
2025 Record: 24-9 (Entering the German Open)
2025 Titles: 1
Career Titles: 24
Grand Slam Titles: Zero — Best: Runner-Up, French Open (2024), Australian Open (2025), U.S. Open (2020)
Last 5 French Opens: 2024-Runner-Up, 2023-SF, 2022-SF, 2021-SF, 2020-4th
Aces: Now 0-3 in major finals, losing to Dominic Thiem at the U.S. Open — after leading 2-0 in sets — to Alcaraz at the French Open — after leading 2-1 in sets — and to Sinner at the Australian Open. ... Had a chance to move up to No. 1 while Sinner was serving his suspension, but Zverev kept losing early in tournaments, going 6-6 in one stretch.
He Said It: “I don’t want to end my career as the best player of all time to never win a Grand Slam, that’s for sure. I’ll keep doing everything I can to lift one of those trophies.”
Read All About It: Zverev falls to 0-3 in Slam finals with loss to Sinner in Melbourne
Odds Are: +1600
Jack Draper
Seeding: 5
Career-Best Ranking: 5
Country: Britain
Age: 23
2025 Record: 22-6
2025 Titles: 1
Career Titles: 3
Grand Slam Titles: Zero — Best: Semifinals, U.S. Open (2024)
Last 5 French Opens: 2024-1st, 2023-1st, 2022-DNP, 2021-DNP, 2020-DNP
Aces: Enjoying a real breakthrough season, including a Masters 1000 title at Indian Wells and a run to a Masters 1000 final on red clay at Madrid, along with a rise into the top 10. ... Only the second left-hander — Rafael Nadal is the other, of course — to reach the top five since 2000. ... Fitness issues from early in his career seem to be behind him. ... Never won a French Open match.
He Said It: “I feel like I’ve been sort of building towards this. And so I feel like I've been improving a long time.”
Read All About It: Jack Draper beats Holger Rune in the Indian Wells final
Odds Are: +3300
Novak Djokovic
Seeding: 6
Career-Best Ranking: 1
Country: Serbia
Age: 38
2025 Record: 12-7 (entering Geneva Open)
2025 Titles: Zero
Career Titles: 99
Grand Slam Titles: 24 — French Open (3: 2016, 2021, 2023), Australian Open (10: 2008, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023), Wimbledon (7: 2011, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022), U.S. Open (4: 2011, 2015, 2018, 2023)
Last 5 French Opens: 2024-QF, 2023-Q, 2022-QF, 2021-W, 2020-RU
Aces: Recently split from coach Andy Murray. ... After stopping at the Australian Open with a hamstring injury, resumes his bid to become the first player with 25 Grand Slam singles trophies. ... 2024 was his first season without at least one Slam trophy since 2017. ... Won an Olympic gold medal for Serbia last year in Paris. ... Pulled out of the French Open midway through the event after tearing his right knee's meniscus. ... Ended a three-match losing streak this week.
He Said It: “It’s not like I’m worrying approaching every Grand Slam now whether I’m going to get injured or not, but statistics are against me, in a way, in the last couple of years.”
Read All About It: Djokovic strives to get another major championship after his latest injury
Odds Are: +1200
Casper Ruud
Seeding: 7
Career-Best Ranking: 2
Country: Norway
Age: 26
2025 Record: 24-7 (entering Geneva Open)
2025 Titles: 1
Career Titles: 13
Grand Slam Titles: Zero — Best: Runner-Up, French Open (2: 2022, 2023), U.S. Open (1: 2022)
Last 5 French Opens: 2024-SF, 2023-RU, 2022-RU, 2021-3rd, 2020-3rd
Aces: Earned his first Masters 1000 title on Madrid’s clay for his biggest trophy. He had been 0-6 in title matches at Grand Slam tournaments, Masters and the ATP Finals. ... Made it to at least the semifinals in Paris each of the past three years, including runner-up finishes against Nadal and Djokovic.
He Said It: “In many ways, my career has gone better than maybe I thought was possible sometimes.”
Read All About It: Casper Ruud had Slam chances against Carlos Alcaraz in the 2022 U.S. Open final
Odds Are: +2800
___
Howard Fendrich has been the AP’s tennis writer since 2002. Find his stories here: https://apnews.com/author/howard-fendrich %23genevaopen)
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