Neither approach ended with an offer, but current Tottenham boss said the day showed how far he had come as a coach.
Thomas Frank has revealed he was interviewed for both the Manchester United and the Chelsea job in one day in 2024.
United were considering potential successors to Erik ten Hag in the summer of 2024 and held conversations with several candidates, including Frank, who at the time was in charge of Brentford.
The club eventually kept Ten Hag through the summer before appointing Ruben Amorim in November.
Frank said the meeting with Ratcliffe took place in London while United’s squad were headed to Wembley ahead of the FA Cup final, which they would go on to win against Manchester City.
The victory bought Ten Hag a few extra months even though the club had already been assessing alternatives.
Later that same afternoon, Frank travelled across the city for a separate interview with Chelsea, who were coming to the end of their own search before settling on Enzo Maresca.
Neither approach resulted in an offer, but Frank said the day was monumental for him and an indicator of how far he had come as a coach.
“Sitting down to talk to two of the ten biggest clubs in the world – two hours apart – is quite unique,” said Frank. “I know I didn’t get either job, but it was still huge.
“I remember walking through Battersea Park between the two interviews and thinking: ‘Thomas Frank from f*cking Frederiksvaerk – am I really experiencing this?’”
Frank remained at Brentford for another season before Tottenham triggered his release clause in 2025. Spurs had finished 17th and opted for a reset with the Dane in charge to replicate his success at team-building at Brentford.
