'Extremely impressive'- Thomas Frank praises ‘mature’ Tottenham star for effectively handling Euro snub

Originally posted on To The Lane And Back
By Aaryan Choksi | Last updated Sep 13, 2025 10:30 AM ET

Mathys Tel is determined to prove his worth at Tottenham this season despite missing out on a UCL spot

Tottenham fans were in for a shock earlier this week as Thomas Frank left out a prominent name from his Champions League squad for this season. The Danish tactician had to submit a list of names that would not feature for the Lilywhites in Europe, at least until January. And it is fair to say that the ex-Brentford boss had a tough decision to make before the September 3^rd deadline.

The absence of high-profile players like James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski, and Radu Dragusin was expected as they all are recovering from long-term injuries. However, one name that stood out in that absentee list was of Mathys Tel. Not many fans expected the Frenchman to not feature for the North London club in Europe, considering the fact that he was signed permanently just a few months back.

But now that we have gotten a few days to ponder over Thomas Frank’s decision, one can see why the Danish tactician left out the 20-year-old from the team-list. The talented forward has not quite shown his potential at N17 following his switch from Bayern Munich in January. The lack of impact, as well as, inconsistency on display has proven to be costly for Tel as he is forced to sit on the sidelines during European nights.

Thomas Frank shares how Mathys Tel has responded to the UCL snub

Tottenham are preparing to test themselves against the best as the Champions League group phase kicks off in a few days’ time. With the Lilywhites aiming to compete hard on all four fronts this season, Thomas Frank will need to endure a strong campaign in Europe in order to build on the Europa League success. However, the Danish tactician will be without Mathys Tel in Europe after Frank decided to keep him off the squad list.

Now, the ex-Brentford boss has shared how Tel has responded to the demoralising snub. Speaking in his pre-match presser (via Football.london), Frank said,

“Now I need to name it before I really know Mathys and I think he’s done well. I just had to take a tough decision. I think he’s been extremely mature. He’s 20-years-old. The way he handled it, the way he trains, everything about him, extremely impressive.”

Thomas Frank has shared that he was expected to name the Champions League squad for this season before he could get to know Mathys Tel well. The Danish tactician has admitted that the decision to leave out Tel was tough to make. However, the Spurs manager points out that the Frenchman’s response has been ‘impressive’, highlighting that the 20-year-old is training hard and proving his worth at N17.

Fans will hope that Tel finds his way into the starting eleven under Thomas Frank and impresses the Danish tactician in the coming months following this setback. The Frenchman might just be able to make it into the Champions League squad in January, provided that Spurs qualify for the latter stages of the competition.

This article first appeared on To The Lane And Back and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: