"I usually win something in my second season at the club," Ainge Postecoglou said in September.
Perhaps those words wouldn't have attracted so much attention if they had come from the coach of another club, but when they are spoken by the Tottenham manager, everything takes on a different tone, even a humorous one.
As the season went on, and the club from north London was mostly a "punching bag" for teams from England, his statement drew more and more ridicule.
So much so that one British journalist wrote before the Europa League final that Postecoglou would be a clown or a hero after that match. Tottenham entered the trophy match in 17th place, a position just above the teams that were relegated from the Premier League, and that led to a somewhat cheeky title.
However, the Athens-born, Melbourne-raised gentleman managed to do what neither Antonio Conte nor Jose Mourinho could before him with Tottenham - he brought the trophy to North London. With a triumph over the English team - Manchester United (1:0).
"Ainge told us everything," the Premier League wrote on social media, recalling a statement from September.
For the sake of trophies, even principles are given up
Postecoglou has endured many defeats with Tottenham, but one from November 2023, when Spurs were even at the top of the Premier League, best describes the style that the Australian expert promotes.
His team was left with nine men on the field against Chelsea, but Postecoglou, as he always does, raised the defense high and tried to attack. The epilogue? Chelsea easily won 4:1.
"That's who we are and that's who we'll be as long as I'm here. If we stay with five men, then we'll try to score a goal," Ainge said vividly.
And then came the Europa League final, Tottenham took the lead at the end of the first half with a goal from Brennan Johnson, and in the second half Postecoglou turned into Mourinho. "Spurs" were no longer interested in attacking, but only in how to protect their goal.
And they succeeded - the first cup arrived after 17 years, and the first European after four decades.
"I am a winner, I always have been. I live for victories," Postekoglu had a clear message for everyone after the final in Bilbao.
European trophies are in Tottenham's blood
Breaking the curse will also mean that Tottenham will no longer be seen as a club that never wins trophies - something that has followed the London team in recent years.
It seems that everything was a bit too much, even though the trophies really didn't arrive in the north of the British capital. First of all, because Tottenham has shown throughout history that it has something European in it.
After all, history remembers that this was the club that first brought a European trophy to the Island - it was in 1963 when legendary striker Jimmy Greaves and his teammates crushed Atletico Madrid (5:1) in the Cup Winners' Cup final in Rotterdam.
They also became the first club to win the UEFA Cup in 1972, when the competition officially succeeded the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. The Europa League replaced the UEFA Cup, and Tottenham have won the competition three times in total - back in 1984 and this May in northern Spain.
They showed that they had something European in their recent difficult years, reaching the Champions League final in 2019 and coming close to winning Europe. However, that's when Liverpool crushed the fans' dreams.
It looks like Tottenham and Kane had to part ways; Son is a legend
Harry Kane is a Tottenham legend, a man who broke Premier League records with his goals in the white jersey, but was not lucky enough to win any trophies with his beloved club.
And then came the farewell and the trophies ended up in the hands of the great striker, but also in the trophy room of Tottenham.
Kane became German champion with Bayern this season, and the London club won the cup after 17 years.
A trophy that perhaps captain Son Heung-Min deserved the most. After ten years at the club, the Korean master can now order.
"Yes, you could say I'm a Tottenham legend now."
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