Tottenham sack Frank and it could open door for Liverpool return | OneFootball

Tottenham’s decision to sack Thomas Frank has created a fresh layer of uncertainty around former Liverpool assistant Johnny Heitinga, and that is why some supporters are now asking whether the 42-year-old Dutch coach could be a name to watch if changes are made behind the scenes at Anfield.

Spurs confirmed the move in an official club statement, which makes clear the board have acted because results and performances have not matched expectations, even after giving the Dane time to build.

“The Club has taken the decision to make a change in the Men’s Head Coach position and Thomas Frank will leave today.

“However, results and performances have led the Board to conclude that a change at this point in the season is necessary.”

Heitinga’s situation matters for us because the former Netherlands defender has a recent Liverpool connection, having worked under Arne Slot during the title-winning campaign before moving on to pursue head-coach opportunities of his own.

The important detail here is not that Liverpool are actively looking to hire anyone, and there is nothing in this Tottenham statement that says that Heitinga is out of a job.

Rather that staff changes at a Premier League club can have knock-on effects, particularly when an assistant has only joined mid-season and the project is suddenly being reset.

Why Johnny Heitinga still feels relevant to Liverpool

(Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)

Heitinga’s Liverpool link is recent enough that the idea of a return is easy to picture, especially because the Dutch coach has already been inside Slot’s day-to-day environment and has first-hand knowledge of how the squad operates in training and on matchdays.

There is also the simple reality that Heitinga has experienced two unstable situations in quick succession, first in the Netherlands and now in north London, which can make the appeal of a familiar workplace feel stronger than it did six months ago.

That context is why this story has legs, even if it is ultimately a discussion about possibilities rather than anything concrete happening right now.

Heitinga’s recent timeline

What Tottenham’s decision could mean next

(Photo by Claudio Villa/Getty Images)

Tottenham’s new head coach will decide what the backroom staff looks like, and that can range from keeping continuity to clearing the deck completely, depending on what the club wants and what the incoming coach demands.

From a Liverpool point of view, the reason Heitinga is even being mentioned is that he is a known quantity at Anfield, and if he became available then he would fit the profile of someone who could slot into a role quickly, because the learning curve would be shorter than it is with an external hire.

For now, though, the only certainty is Spurs have moved on from Frank, and the ripple effect is that Heitinga is back in a situation where his next step might not be fully in his control.

You can watch Arne Slot’s pre-Sunderland press conference via Empire of the Kop on YouTube:

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