NEWCASTLE, England — Tottenham Hotspur’s first-team players have decided to reimburse match tickets of fans who traveled to watch Sunday’s 6-1 defeat against Newcastle United, the club confirmed in a statement on Monday. 

The decision came on the heels of the sacking of Spurs interim manager Cristian Stellini following the team’s poor performance at Newcastle’s St James’ Park, where they conceded five goals in the opening 21 minutes.

“As a squad, we understand your frustration, your anger,” the players said in a statement released on Monday. “Sunday wasn’t good enough. We know words aren’t enough in situations like this, but believe us, a defeat like this hurts.

“We appreciate your support, home and away, and with this in mind, we would like to reimburse fans with the cost of their match tickets from St James’ Park,” the statement continued. “We know this does not change what happened on Sunday, and we will give everything to put things right, starting against Manchester United on Thursday evening when, again, your support will mean everything to us.

“Together -- and only together -- can we move things forward.”

Club chairman Daniel Levy had branded the team’s performance as “unacceptable” after the game.

“We can look at many reasons why it happened, and whilst myself, the board, the coaches, and players must all take collective responsibility, ultimately, the responsibility is mine,” Levy added.

The cataclysmic result has put Champions League football at a distant reach for the North London side, with the future looking uncertain amidst their search for a new manager for next season.