Tottenham Hotspur replace acting head coach Cristian Stellini

After appointing Ryan Mason as their new head coach, Tottenham Hotspur have decided to dismiss Cristian Stellini from his interim coaching position, which he had taken up only a month ago following the departure of Antonio Conte. Stellini had previously worked as an assistant to Conte, who had been replaced by Mason.

Despite Cristian Stellini taking charge as interim head coach after the departure of Antonio Conte, Tottenham Hotspur's on-field performances did not see any significant improvements. The situation reached a tipping point with the team's 6-1 loss to Newcastle United on Sunday.

In a statement on Monday, chairman Daniel Levy said, "Sunday’s performance against Newcastle was wholly unacceptable. "It was devastating to see. We can look at many reasons why it happened and whilst myself, the Board, the coaches and players must all take collective responsibility, ultimately the responsibility is mine.

"Cristian will leave his current role along with his coaching staff. Cristian stepped in at a difficult point in our season and I want to thank him for the professional manner in which he and his coaching staff have conducted themselves during such a challenging time. We wish him and his staff well.

"Ryan Mason will take over Head Coach duties with immediate effect. Ryan knows the Club and the players well. We shall update further on his coaching staff in due course.

"I met with the Player Committee today - the squad is determined to pull together to ensure the strongest possible finish to the season. We are all clear we need to deliver performances which earn your amazing support."

During the match against Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur's performance rapidly deteriorated as they conceded three goals in a span of just 10 minutes. This led to fans leaving the ground in disappointment, and the team went on to concede two more goals by the 21st minute.

One factor that contributed to the team's poor display was the tactical decision made by interim head coach Cristian Stellini, who opted for a formation with four defenders instead of the usual five that had been used for most of the season. This tactical change proved to be ineffective as the team was quickly exposed by their opponents.

After the match, the interim coach claimed it was the 'worst performance' he'd seen, saying, "There are no words to explain a performance like this.

"The first 25 minutes were maybe the worst I have ever seen."

Cristian Stellini was not a strong candidate for the permanent head coach position from the outset, and the poor result against Newcastle United made it even less likely for him to be considered for the role. As a result, Tottenham Hotspur had no choice but to replace him as interim head coach for the remainder of the season.

Conte's sacking came at the end of March, with only his brother, Gianluca Conte, also leaving the coaching staff and heading out of Spurs.

Instead of finding a permanent manager to replace the Italian, his assistant, Stellini, was given the top job until the end of the season, having also taken over when the former Chelsea boss was recovering from surgery, earlier this year.

In his place, Mason will now be in charge of the club until the end of the season, having also taken over from Jose Mourinho, after the Roma manager was removed as Spurs boss in 2021.

The new interim manager's first game in charge is against Manchester United on Thursday, and he'll be hoping it's better than his predecessor's final match.