After Tottenham Hotspur’s goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario was booed by some fans, coach Thomas Frank expressed strong disapproval, stating that “they can’t be true Tottenham fans.”
Spurs faced a 2-1 defeat against Fulham, marking their 10th home loss in the Premier League in 2025.
However, the focal point of the match was Fulham’s second goal, where Vicario lost possession well outside of his penalty area.
Attempting to manage a long ball, Vicario advanced towards the sideline. Instead of clearing it safely out of play, he tried to pass but slipped, allowing the ball to come off Harry Wilson to Josh King.
King then set up Wilson, who scored from an impressive distance of 36.6 meters.
Shortly after, when the ball returned to Vicario, he was booed by a section of Spurs fans.
The team heard boos at halftime while trailing 2-0, and they were similarly received at full-time.
Frank was particularly frustrated by the fans’ reactions. “I heard some of our fans apparently booed during the match, which, in my opinion, is completely unacceptable,” he told BBC Sport. “They can’t be true Tottenham fans who do that. Boos after the game? No problem. But during the game, we should be supporting each other.”
Kenny Tete opened the scoring for Fulham in the fourth minute before Wilson’s strike; Mohammed Kudus netted for Spurs later in the game.
Former Premier League goalkeeper Joe Hart criticized the second goal, calling it “completely avoidable” but acknowledged the fans’ frustration. “Vicario is a great team player and leader, but ultimately you are judged by your actions.”
‘It’s part of football, I’m a big man’
Italy international Vicario, in his third season with Tottenham, accepted the criticism post-match. “The second goal was my mistake, and I take responsibility,” he stated. “I intended to clear the ball long but executed it poorly. It made our task even tougher.”
He added that being booed “is part of football.” “I’m a big man; what can I say? We cannot let the situation in the stands impact us. The fans have the right to express their feelings.”
Vicario emphasized the need for his team to remain composed, saying, “Today was a difficult defeat to accept.”
‘I was surprised nobody went back to the line’
Despite Vicario’s error, Wilson noted that scoring the goal wasn’t simple, as it was the second-longest range goal of the Premier League season, following Tyler Adams’ 43.3m goal for Bournemouth.
Wilson admitted, “I was a little surprised that I had an empty goal to aim for. It felt like Vicario was out of the box for ages. I was shocked that none of the defense went back to protect the goal.”
Wilson added, “Udogie slipping also gave me more time to aim. Once it left my foot, I felt confident it was on target.”
‘When you’re in a bad spell, everything seems to go against you’
While Vicario’s mistake garnered the headlines, it was an overall disappointing day for Spurs as they continued to struggle at home. This was their 10th league defeat at home in 2025, matching club records from 1994 and 2003.
Tottenham still has home games against Brentford and reigning champions Liverpool before year-end. Since Frank’s arrival in the summer, the team has only managed one victory.
Frank acknowledged the uphill battle, saying, “When you’re down 2-0 after just six minutes, it’s a significant challenge. In a rough patch, it feels like everything goes against you—the first goal was a deflected shot, and the second was an error on Vic’s part.”
This result leaves Spurs in a difficult position, having lost yet another game. “Every game has its own narrative; this one was lost in the opening minutes,” Frank remarked. “We just need to keep improving. The second half was more promising and can serve as a lesson.”
Spurs have now lost four consecutive home London derbies for the first time in Premier League history. They are averaging only 9.5 shots and 3.2 shots on target per game, their lowest recorded averages in a season since at least 2003-04.
Former Fulham midfielder Danny Murphy noted that Frank must endure the criticism during this challenging time. “He has to take the heat,” Murphy stated. “This is a high-profile role with immense expectations. The home performances have been lacking, and they need a quick turnaround. His uncertainty about the best lineup and formation is concerning, as confidence is low. He needs to ride the storm, put in the work on the training pitch, and help the team secure wins at home.”