LONDON, June 6 (Xinhua) -- Tottenham Hotspur sacked coach Ange Postecoglou on Friday, just 16 days after he led the team to its first trophy in 17 years with a 1-0 victory over Manchester United in the Europa League final.

The club's decision came amid a dire Premier League season, which saw 59-year-old Postecoglou's side finish 17th in the table after losing 22 out of 38 matches.

"Following a review of performances and after significant reflection, the club can announce that Ange Postecoglou has been relieved of his duties," the club stated in a release.

The statement expressed "extreme gratitude" to the Australian for becoming only the third coach to win a European title with Tottenham, but clarified that "our decision is not based on emotions tied to this achievement."

"It is crucial that we are able to compete on multiple fronts and believe a change of approach will give us the strongest chance for the coming season and beyond."

"We have made what we believe is the right decision to give us the best chance of success going forward," added the club.

Brentford coach Thomas Frank is widely considered the frontrunner to succeed Postecoglou, with Bournemouth's Andoni Iraola also a potential candidate. ■