'I knew it was coming'—Ange Postecoglou speaks on Tottenham exit for first time

He wasn't away for long!

Barely three months after Daniel Levy ruthlessly cut ties, Ange Postecoglou has a new job in the big time. The Europa League-winning boss has opted to join the circus in Nottingham, with Evangelos Marinakis earmarking him as Nuno Espirito Santo's replacement.

Nuno worked wonders at the City Ground last season, but there had been suggestions within Forest, especially after Edu Gaspar joined as the Marinakis empire's Global Head of Football, that the former Tottenham boss had taken his team as far as he could.

Nuno quickly fell out with the Brazilian and opted for public self-destruction by alerting the world of his dwindling relationship with Marinakis. As the new season started, there was a sense of 'when' not if; regarding the Portuguese's departure.

The owner pulled the plug during the September international break, with Postecoglou quickly drafted in, having built a rapport with Marinakis after his Spurs sacking.

Ange Postecoglou discusses Tottenham exit at Nottingham Forest unveiling

While Postecoglou wrote a statement in the wake of his departure earlier this summer, he primarily reflected on his two years at the helm; discussing the "pride" with which he left, the adversity his team had to overcome, etc, etc.

Ange never went into the ins and outs of his exit, but opted to provide a few details when asked about his previous role during his Forest unveiling.

“I knew it was coming a long time, probably before most people," Nuno's successor said (via The Athletic). Speaking elsewhere, he went further and said he knew "before the final". Knowing Levy was going to give him the chop, which he did two weeks later, renders Ange's achievement all the more impressive.

However, Postecoglou's position was made untenable by Spurs' woeful domestic campaign, which included a 17th-place finish in the Premier League—the club's lowest in the competition. That magical night in Bilbao was the Australian's crowning glory, ensuring his legacy is secured in N17 for generations, but Levy confirmed it was the club's inability to compete on multiple fronts that led to the manager's sacking.

“I didn’t have a great deal of interaction with [former Spurs chairman] Daniel Levy. He invested a hell of a lot in the club in terms of building it up to where it was. He appointed me, so I’ve got to be thankful for that. Hopefully, I repaid him with that success," Ange added.

Postecoglou will now get to work with Marinakis, who churns through managers like Henry VIII did wives. History would suggest he'd do very well to get another chance to deliver on his second-season promise, but Ange has got the Europa League to play with if he fancies overseeing a premature success.