Gerry Francis's troubled reign at Tottenham ended in another White Hart Lane muddle last night as his successor was announced as Grasshoppers Zurich coach Christian Gross. But while Gross's departure to take over at Spurs from Monday was being proclaimed in Switzerland, nobody at Tottenham was available to confirm the name of the club's 14th post-War boss - or that Francis was leaving.

It was another Spurs shambles, following a day of speculation that the inevitable decision for Francis to part company with the club had finally been taken.

Rumours had been rife all day that Francis had left Tottenham. Throughout the day Spurs had refused to comment on the growing rumours, other than a brief denial from Daniel Sugar, Spurs' operations manager and son of chairman Alan, who when asked if Francis had gone replied: "No. That's the answer in one word."

But the appointment of Gross, who will bring his assistant Fritz Schmid with him to N17, was announced by Grasshoppers president Romano Spadaro at a news conference in Zurich last night. Spadaro said the 43-year-old Gross, who will become the third continental coach in the Premiership in London joining Arsene Wenger and Ruud Gullit, had signed an 18-month contract with Spurs that will take effect from Monday.

Francis was incommunicado yesterday - his wife Julie is expecting their third child - but there seems no doubt that his spell at Spurs is finally over.

Francis is expected to attend an official farewell news conference at White Hart Lane today when he and Sugar will explain the reasons and timing of his departure.