Harry Kane still frustrated by Tottenham decision to sack José Mourinho before cup final

Harry Kane has admitted Tottenham’s decision to sack José Mourinho just days before the 2021 EFL Cup final remains difficult for him to understand.

Mourinho managed Kane between November 2019 and April 2021, with the England striker producing some of his best individual football during that period. Kane scored 45 goals and provided 17 assists in 62 appearances under the Portuguese coach.

Speaking to Marca, the Bayern Munich striker reflected warmly on their relationship and made clear that Mourinho’s abrupt Tottenham departure remains a source of disappointment.

Tottenham dismissed Mourinho shortly before facing Manchester City in the EFL Cup final, denying him the opportunity to lead Spurs into the Wembley showpiece.

Kane believes that was particularly difficult given the relationship they had developed.

“I adore José,” Kane said. “We had a really good relationship at Tottenham. It didn’t end the way we wanted, and José not getting the chance to manage that final was tough. It was difficult for me too.”

Kane also credits Mourinho with helping him produce one of his most complete seasons.

During the 2020-21 Premier League campaign, he finished as both the Golden Boot winner and the league’s leading assist provider.

“He gave me a lot of freedom to be myself, to play freely, and to drop deep to receive the ball,” Kane explained.

Kane believes Mourinho’s understanding of the game extended far beyond tactics.

He praised the manager’s ability to analyse situations involving possession, defensive organisation and even interactions with officials, adding that he continues to have “a lot of respect” for him.

The pair have had limited contact since Mourinho’s Tottenham departure, but Kane hopes their paths could cross again following the manager’s return to Real Madrid.

A Champions League meeting would reunite them in very different circumstances.

Kane left Tottenham for Bayern Munich in 2023 after scoring 280 goals in 435 appearances without winning a major trophy. His move to Germany has since delivered both extraordinary individual numbers and the silverware that eluded him in north London.

Yet more than five years after Mourinho’s dismissal, the manner of that Tottenham exit clearly still resonates with him.

Kane and Mourinho are now competing for two of Europe’s biggest clubs, creating the possibility of a reunion in this season’s Champions League.

For Tottenham, Kane’s comments provide another reminder of the controversial timing of Mourinho’s dismissal and how strongly one of the club’s greatest players valued working under him.