We have breaking news: According to Sky Sports, Tottenham Hotspur have appointed former Juventus manager Igor Tudor as interim head coach, with a short term contract lasting until June 2026. Tudor replaces
Thomas Frank, whom Spurs sacked on Wednesday after a 2-1 home loss to Newcastle in the Premier League.
Tudor is a Croatian manager and former player who had his best run in his playing days at Juventus, where he tallied 115 appearances and 15 goals as a central defender. He most recently served as Juventus manager, replacing Thiago Motta last spring, but was sacked in October of this year after Juventus had an eight match losing streak, ending his tenure at the Italian club after seven months. Tudor also inherited a mess of a situation as manager of Marseille in 2022-23; he managed them in the Champions League with them finishing bottom of their group, and left at the end of the season, citing “tiredness” with the club and management.
I’m not going to pretend to be an expert on Igor Tudor, and people much smarter than me note him as a primarily defensive head coach, though he’s known for aggressive tactics. An article at Total Football Analysis says his past coaching history suggests as a manager he’s “a coach unafraid to make bold tactical shifts, often revitalising sides in need of fresh energy.” That same article, written after his appointment at Juventus, noted that he was successful in instilling “greater dynamism through structural tweaks, sharpening transitions and bringing balance between defence and attack.” He’s also considered a good motivator of players. Considering that Spurs are presently at risk of relegation and have had difficulty not only scoring but also generating chances in offense, this feels… dare I say it… like it could be a good thing?
A quick glance through Tudor’s history doesn’t make him out to be a particularly stable personality, but considering the scope of the assignment here I’m not sure Spurs are in much of a position to quibble too much.
It certainly can’t hurt. This is a lost season for Spurs, and Tudor isn’t under pressure to, say, qualify for the Champions League — though he will usher Spurs through the CL Round of 16 and potentially further, he basically just needs about 12 points in Spurs’ last 12 matches to ensure they don’t go down. If he does that, it’s job done, and that seems like a perfectly reasonable expectation for him. If he can get this critically injured Tottenham squad of misfit toys playing something like cromulent football, then it’s a win.
Ornstein says that Tudor does not have a permanent option, but it also feels as though if he does good enough he could potentially win his way into the permanent job. Either way, this is a temporary appointment, with the club planning on making a permanent hire this summer, likely after the World Cup win a number of qualified candidates will likely be available. One of those potential candidates is almost certainly USMNT manager (and former Spurs boss) Mauricio Pochettino.
Reports from earlier this morning suggested former Dortmund managers Eden Terzic and Marco Rose were in consideration for the interim head coaching role. Tudor’s name seemingly came out of nowhere, and his first responsibility will be to lead the team out against arch rivals and league leaders Arsenal in ten days. Good luck, buddy. But get us 11 points by May and you’ll have the thankfulness of a grateful Spurs nation.
Welcome to Tottenham, Igor Tudor.
