Tottenham Hotspur has hired ex-Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou as their new manager for the upcoming 2023/24 campaign. Postecoglou is set to become the first Australian to manage in the English Premier League (EPL) when Spurs kick-off away at Brentford on August 13th. After a disappointing 2022/23 season that saw the club use three different managers, Spurs fans are hopeful that Postecoglou can help the club rise to the top of the Premier League standings.
One thing that Postecoglou will need to accomplish is helping Spurs overcome their rivals Arsenal, whom they will face home and away this season. In light of Postecoglou’s appointment, the team at betting.com looked back at some of the other EPL managerial firsts.
Manuel Pellegrini from Chile was the first-ever Chilean manager to manage a Premier League team. During his three-year stint at Manchester City, Pellegrini won the League Cup and the EPL in his first season as a manager, becoming the first Premier League manager from outside of Europe to win the top-flight title.
Bob Bradley was the first American boss in the EPL when he was appointed as the manager of Swansea City in October 2016. However, his tenure with the team lasted just 85 days and eleven games, making him one of the shortest-reigning EPL managers in history.
Avram Grant became the first-ever Israeli to manage an EPL club when he was appointed as the manager of Chelsea following Jose Mourinho’s sacking in 2007. Grant guided Chelsea to a second-place finish that season and led the team to the Champions League final, where they lost to Manchester United.
Sven-Göran Eriksson was not only the first-ever Swedish manager in the EPL in 2007, but he was also the first-ever non-British manager to manage Manchester City. Despite a strong start, Eriksson’s fate was sealed after an 8-1 loss to Middlesbrough, the biggest defeat of his managerial career.
Velimir Zajec became the first-ever Croatian manager in the EPL when he took over as the interim manager of Portsmouth after Harry Redknapp’s dismissal in 2004. Zajec only lasted five months in charge of Portsmouth and could not prevent the team from becoming involved in a relegation battle.
As Postecoglou takes charge of Spurs, fans will be hoping that he can achieve success and be remembered as one of the great EPL managerial firsts.
