Thomas Frank, manager of Tottenham Hotspur, has responded to Jürgen Klopp's harsh criticism of Mickey van de Ven's poor tackle.
On 24 Dec 2025 GMT+7, Thomas Frank, Tottenham Hotspur's manager, responded to criticism from Liverpool head coach Jürgen Klopp regarding Mickey van de Ven's heavy tackle on Alexander Isak, which caused the Liverpool striker a severe injury requiring surgery and several months of recovery.
Jürgen Klopp described the incident as a very poor tackle by Mickey van de Ven, saying that if he made such a tackle ten times, the player being tackled would get seriously injured every time.
However, Thomas Frank, the Spurs manager, disagreed, insisting it was an instinctive action by a professional defender doing everything possible to protect the goal. Unfortunately, Isak happened to plant his foot firmly, making the tackle appear worse than it was. Frank considers it an accidental incident rather than foul play.
“I disagree on many points. We're talking about a defender trying his utmost to prevent conceding a goal.
It was a transition moment with the ball played through wide, and Mickey gave his full effort to block the shot by sliding in towards the ball.
But unfortunately, Isak planted his foot firmly, making the visuals look worse than the reality. For a defender, that kind of tackle is very natural.”
“Honestly, if a defender doesn't try that, he wouldn't be a defender. Was it a reckless tackle? I don't think you'd see that from Mickey. He's a player with great spirit and fairness, and I know both players have since cleared the air, which is a positive sign.”