Why Tottenham may sack Thomas Frank — and it’s not about a coffee cup

Tottenham Hotspur’s latest controversy has travelled as far as Denmark, where media coverage insists Thomas Frank’s future will not be decided by a coffee cup — but by results.

The issue arose on Wednesday evening when AFC Bournemouth secured a dramatic 3-2 win over Tottenham Hotspur, thanks to a late Antoine Semenyo winner at the Vitality Stadium.

Before kick-off, cameras caught Frank walking around the ground holding an Arsenal-branded paper cup — an image that quickly irritated sections of the Spurs fanbase already frustrated by another damaging defeat.

After the match, Thomas Frank admitted he had not realised the cup carried Arsenal branding, insisting it was an honest mistake.

The image nonetheless spread rapidly on social media, becoming a symbol — fairly or not — of Tottenham’s wider malaise.

Danish outlet DR Sporten has now weighed in on the situation, offering a calmer interpretation of the episode.

Speaking to DR Sporten, former FC Copenhagen head of communications Jes Mortensen, now co-owner of Humantouchmedia, dismissed the idea that the incident reflected poorly on Frank’s professionalism.

“It’s an obvious accident. He obviously didn’t do it on purpose. He’s a very gifted person and knows the mechanics of football well,” Mortensen said.

“The fact that it’s Arsenal and after a defeat just makes it an annoying communication.”

Mortensen added that Frank’s measured explanation was the only sensible response given Tottenham’s current situation.

“He tries to explain it honestly and soberly at the press conference, because that’s his only option. Sometimes humour can be a solution, but when the team is in the situation they are in, that wouldn’t be appropriate either.”

Mortensen was clear that if Tottenham do decide to part company with Frank, it will have nothing to do with optics or public relations missteps.

Instead, the concern lies with results. Spurs replaced Ange Postecoglou — who guided the club to Europa League glory in May 2025 — with Frank, but progress since then has stalled.

The Dane has overseen 30 matches, winning just 11. Tottenham have managed only three victories from their last 13 games in all competitions and currently sit 14th in the table.

Mortensen also suggested responsibility for the cup incident should not fall on Frank at all.

“He has taken the wrong cup, and I can’t imagine that it means anything,” he said.

“They should rather scold the people who have lined up in the dressing room and ask: ‘How on earth could you leave an Arsenal cup when you arrived three hours before the manager?’.”

Notably, Danish media had already raised the possibility of Frank being sacked more than a month ago — long before the coffee cup incident.

DR Sporten’s own headline summed up their stance succinctly: ‘If Frank gets fired, it’s not because of coffee cups’.

Tottenham’s upcoming fixtures are likely to define Frank’s immediate future far more than any off-pitch distractions. With league position slipping and confidence fragile, performances — not PR mishaps — will determine whether the club persists with their current direction.

Much will depend on whether Spurs can halt their slide quickly. Without a run of results, scrutiny from both supporters and media is only set to intensify.

Is Thomas Frank being judged too harshly — or do Tottenham’s results leave the club with no real choice?