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Mason named interim Tottenham boss following Mourinho sacking

The north Londoners have confirmed that their former midfielder will take charge until the end of the season

Ryan Mason has been appointed as Tottenham's new interim manager following Jose Mourinho's sacking on Monday.

Mourinho was relieved of his duties at Spurs after 17 months in charge, just six days before he was due to oversee the team's appearance in the 2020-21 Carabao Cup final.

Mason, who had been serving as the club's head of player development, will now be tasked with delivering their first major trophy since 2008 and will see out the remainder of the season before a new permanent boss is appointed over the summer.

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What's been said?

Tottenham have confirmed the news in an official statement, which reads: "Following the departure of Jose Mourinho, we can now confirm that Ryan Mason will take charge as interim head coach for the remainder of the season.

"Ryan will be joined by Chris Powell and Nigel Gibbs as interim assistant head coaches and Michel Vorm as interim goalkeeping coach. Ledley King will continue in his role as first-team assistant."

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Club chairman Daniel Levy added: "We have great belief in this squad of talented players.

"We have a cup final and six Premier League games ahead of us and we shall now focus all our energies on achieving a strong finish to the season."

Why was Mourinho dismissed?

Mourinho was initially brought in to bring Spurs' long wait for major silverware to an end and, although he would've had the chance to deliver a trophy on Sunday, the board decided to make an early change after the team's poor run of results.

Tottenham slipped out of contention for the Premier League title after the festive period and exited the FA Cup at the fifth-round stage before falling victim to a stunning upset at the hands of Dinamo Zagreb in the Europa League round of 16.

Mourinho saw his side held to a 2-2 draw by Everton in his final game in charge, which left Spurs sitting seventh in the Premier League and five points adrift of the top four, with only six games left to try and qualify for the Champions League.

When is Mason's first game at the helm?

Mason will have the chance to warm up for the Carabao Cup final when Tottenham play host to Southampton in the Premier League on Wednesday night.

After Sunday's showpiece event against Manchester City, he will look ahead to a meeting with Sheffield United on May 1, seven days before Spurs are due to take in a trip to Leeds United.

Who is in the running to replace Mourinho?

It is understood that Tottenham's search for their next permanent manager will soon get underway, with a final appointment expected ahead of the 2021-22 season.

Former Juventus and Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri is reportedly the early frontrunner for the position, having been out of work since being sacked by the Bianconeri last August.

Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers and RB Leipzig head coach Julian Nagelsmann have also been linked, while Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti has been mooted as another high-profile candidate.