Tottenham head coach Thomas Frank has confirmed that Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence have apologised following their behaviour at the end of Saturday’s 1-0 defeat to Chelsea.
The pair drew attention after the final whistle at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium when they appeared to ignore Frank’s instruction to acknowledge the home supporters, who had reacted angrily to the loss. Instead, stand-in captain Micky Van de Ven and Spence headed straight down the tunnel, leaving their manager visibly disappointed on the touchline.
However, ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League clash with Copenhagen, Frank revealed the issue has been settled after both players approached him voluntarily to apologise.
Frank praises players’ response
“Micky and Djed came into my office yesterday unprompted and said they wanted to apologise for what happened,” Frank explained. “They didn’t want it to look disrespectful towards me, the team, or the club. It was simply frustration — frustration with the performance, the defeat, and the reaction from the stands.”
The Spurs boss went on to say that the players’ decision to come forward on their own showed character and care for the club.
“They care deeply about the team and about Tottenham Hotspur,” he continued. “We had a good conversation about it all, and like always, those talks stay internal. What matters is that they took responsibility. That’s a positive sign.”
Frank also reiterated his approach to handling such matters privately: “As I’ve said before, it would be very unusual for me to throw a player under the bus. We are all human. I’ll always protect my players.”
When asked if the situation was now resolved, Frank was firm in his response: “For me? Ah yeah. 100 percent closed.”
Injury concerns ahead of Copenhagen clash
Tottenham could still face selection problems for Tuesday’s European fixture, with Spence and Mohammed Kudus both missing training on Monday. Despite that, Frank believes they “could and should” be available to feature.
One player who will definitely miss out, however, is Lucas Bergvall, after the midfielder sustained a concussion against Chelsea. The Swedish teenager was struck on the back of the head by a clearance from Enzo Fernández early in the game and was withdrawn after a medical check.
“Lucas got concussion, and the medical team handled it really well,” Frank said. “It’s never easy in those situations, but the players’ health comes first. He’ll be out for the next two matches.”
Tottenham face Copenhagen on Tuesday night before hosting Manchester United in the Premier League on Saturday.
