Spurs Shake Up the Backroom as John Heitinga Joins Thomas Frank’s Staff
Good evening and we start tonight in north London, where Tottenham Hotspur are making a clear statement behind the scenes.
Spurs have moved to strengthen their coaching setup by bringing in John Heitinga, the former Netherlands international, as part of Thomas Frank’s first-team staff. This is not a headline-grabbing player signing, but inside the club, this is being seen as a significant move, especially at a time when results have started to wobble.
Heitinga arrives with a strong reputation as a defensive mind. Fans will remember him from his playing days at Ajax, Everton and Fulham, where he built a career on organisation, discipline and leadership at the back. Since retiring, he has quietly built up coaching experience across Europe. He worked with Ajax’s youth system, stepped into senior roles and more recently was part of Liverpool’s title-winning coaching team under Arne Slot. That background matters, because Spurs have been looking for sharper structure, especially defensively.
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Thomas Frank has made it clear that Heitinga’s main focus will be the defence on the training pitch. And that feels deliberate. Tottenham have struggled for consistency in recent weeks, winning just once in their last seven matches. Pressure has been building and Saturday’s home game against West Ham suddenly carries extra weight. This appointment looks like a response to that moment, not panic, but a calculated adjustment.
There is also movement higher up the ladder. Spurs have confirmed the appointment of Carlos Raphael Moersen as their first director of football operations. Known to many simply as Rafi, he comes from the City Football Group, an organisation known for tight control, long-term planning and detailed football operations. His role will cover football administration, player care, training ground operations and oversight of the women’s setup. However, fans will need patience. Moersen is on gardening leave and will not officially start until closer to the summer transfer window.
All of this points to a broader reset at Tottenham. With changes coming in the sporting department and with Frank losing a member of his staff before Christmas, the club is clearly trying to stabilise and sharpen its structure at a critical point in the season.
Heitinga’s arrival may not change things overnight. But in modern football, small adjustments behind the scenes can have a big impact on the pitch. Spurs are betting that experience, defensive clarity and fresh voices can help steady the ship.
We will see soon enough if this reshaped backroom team can turn pressure into progress.
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