Matthijs de Ligt Tel (21, Tottenham Hotspur) finally voiced his dissatisfaction publicly. He revealed behind-the-scenes details about former manager Thomas Frank, who was dismissed from Tottenham.
British outlet Give Me Sport reported on the 10th (Korean time) that the Tottenham forward Tel, valued at 30 million pounds (about 59.4 billion won), claimed in an interview that he had conflicts with former manager Frank and that Frank did not like him.
Tel recently appeared on the French podcast Jack an lou libre and talked about various topics. Among them was his relationship with manager Frank, who left the team. Frank left Brentford to join Tottenham ahead of this season but was sacked last month after poor results.
Tel candidly said about manager Frank, "I disagreed with Frank about my role in the team. Because of that he didn't like me. He didn't try to solve the problem. I was confused about why I had to sit on the bench so often. I felt I could help the team more."
In fact, Tel hardly got chances under manager Frank. A promising prospect who was noticed in France, he wore the Bayern Munich jersey in 2022. He showed decent performances at times, but it was difficult to secure a place at Bayern where Harry Kane was holding down the position.
Then Tottenham approached Tel and brought him in on loan for the second half of 2025. The loan fee alone at the time reached 10 million euros (about 17.1 billion won). Tel makes good use of his left foot and can play as a left winger and a central striker, raising expectations that he could be a long-term successor to Son Heung-min.
However, Tel managed only 3 goals and 1 assist in 20 matches wearing the Tottenham jersey. Nevertheless, Tottenham completed a permanent transfer for Tel last summer for 40 million euros (about 68.5 billion won). Many fans questioned it, but the Tottenham board, including former chairman Daniel Levy, firmly believed in his potential.
The reality was grim. Tel underperformed under manager Frank early in the season, and his playing time was limited. He even suffered the humiliation of being left off the UEFA Champions League squad. He said he was disappointed and vowed to come back stronger, but he still has little presence. This season his tally is only 3 goals in 27 matches.
The previously sidelined Tel has recently been gradually increasing his playing time as Tottenham slipped to 17th and dealt with an injury crisis. Igor Tudor, the interim manager hired as a firefighter, used him twice as a substitute and entrusted him with his first full 90 minutes in the previous match against Crystal Palace.
Since Tottenham still cannot fill Son Heung-min's void, they seem inevitably to be pinning hopes on Tel. There is analysis that his grit and work rate could be helpful.
Give Me Sport said that while Tel's performance and decisiveness have not always been perfect, his effort and work rate shown in the Tottenham jersey are hardly criticized. It added that such grit and energy are the elements the current Tottenham needs to get out of the relegation zone.
The outlet also added that Tel hopes that the full 90 minutes against Palace will be a sign of more playing opportunities to come, and that he hopes there will not be another conflict over his role as there was during Frank's tenure.
[Photos] Jack an lou libre, Tottenham, ESPN UK social media.
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