Thomas Frank Addresses Controversy Over Arsenal Cup Before Bournemouth Clash

Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank clarified that he was unaware he was drinking from a cup branded with Arsenal’s logo prior to the match against Bournemouth. He expressed that it would be “absolutely foolish” for him to do so.

The incident garnered significant attention on social media when an image surfaced showing Frank with the Arsenal cup before the crucial game. In his post-match comments, he stated, “It’s fair to say that not winning every single football match, it would be absolutely stupid of me to take a cup with Arsenal on it. Anyone thinking I’ve done that or that the staff has done it…”

He further explained, “They’ve been in the changing room the game before us [on Saturday]. It’s normal to request ‘give me a cup of espresso’ before every game. I think it’s a little bit sad in football that I need to be asked a question like that. We are definitely moving in the wrong direction if we are concerned about me having a cup from another club. Of course, I wouldn’t do that. That would be really foolish.”

Arsenal had recently played at the Vitality Stadium, achieving a 3-2 victory. Nonetheless, the sight of Frank with an Arsenal cup was seen as poor optics for a Spurs manager already under pressure regarding his team’s performance.

Following a late goal from Antoine Semenyo, Frank’s side suffered a 3-2 defeat against Bournemouth, marking just one victory in their last five Premier League matches, leaving them in 14th place on the table.

“It’s fair to say that everyone involved with Tottenham finds this a difficult result to accept today,” Frank noted. “I hope everyone can see how hard we worked to steer our performance in the right direction. Overall, we played well, especially in the second half, in a match where we deserved more.”

“It is incredibly painful to experience this, so it’s natural for people to feel frustrated. It’s very tough to sit here right now without having gained anything from an overall solid performance.”