Tottenham Hotspur have announced Igor Tudor as their new head coach until the end of the season.
The Croatian’s priority is to keep Spurs in the Premier League, which is now 16th, five points above the relegation zone following the sacking of manager Tomas Frank.
A club statement echoed this, saying: “Igor joins us with a clear focus to improve his performances, deliver results and move us up the Premier League table.
“His task is simple and clear: to bring organization, intensity and competitiveness to the team at crucial stages of the campaign.”
Commenting on his arrival, manager Tudor said: “I am honored to join this club at such an important time. I understand the responsibility that has been given to me and my focus is clear. I will bring consistency to my performances and fight with belief in every game.”
“There is strong quality in this squad and my job is to organize it, energize it and quickly improve our results.”
“Igor brings clarity, intensity and the experience of stepping into difficult moments and making an impact,” said sporting director Johan Lange.
“Our goals are simple and clear: to stabilize our performance, maximize the quality within our squad and compete strongly in the Premier League and Champions League.”
Spurs are considering naming Frank’s long-term successor in the summer after the Danish player was sacked on Wednesday following Tuesday’s home defeat to Newcastle.
Tudor, who usually plays in a back-three formation, will take over at a Spurs side that has won just two of their last 17 league games.
The 47-year-old, who has also managed Lazio, Marseille, Galatasaray and Udinese, has been out of work since October after being sacked by Juve. He has a reputation for stabilizing struggling teams in the short term.
Why the Spurs chose Tudor…
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Tudor agrees to contract to serve as Spurs’ interim head coach until the end of the season
Spurs are looking to appoint an experienced head coach with a track record of making an immediate impact upon joining the club, and Tudor fits the bill perfectly.
Tudor took over the last two seasons at Juventus and Lazio in March respectively, stabilizing his results in the short term.
At Juventus, he took over from Thiago Motta at a side that was fifth in Serie A, outside of the Champions League, after a disastrous February ended with back-to-back defeats that saw the club eliminated from the Champions League and Coppa Italia.
Tudor led Juve to fourth place in Serie A and qualified for the Champions League after losing just one of the 11 games he was in charge of. This earned the Croatian a two-year contract, but poor results led Juventus to release him after just four months.
At Lazio, Tudor took over from manager Marizio Sarri on an 18-month contract in March 2024. The former Chelsea manager resigned after suffering their fifth defeat in six games against ninth-placed Lazio.
Tudor won five of nine games as Lazio manager, losing only one, helping them finish seventh and qualify for the Europa League. He resigned at the end of the season after three months in office.
Sherwood: “Tudor doesn’t get any credit for cheering up Spurs”
Tim Sherwood speaks on Soccer Saturday:
“If he can beat Arsenal in the first game, then everything will be happy. He might get the job, there will be a statue of him.
“It’s going to be difficult. He doesn’t know anything about the Premier League and people will say, ‘What does that matter?’ It’s not a question of getting the top job in the league, but you come in.”
“What’s the upside for him? If he finishes 12th, he doesn’t get any credit. The downside is too devastating. Do you want to leave your mark all over Tottenham and get relegated from the Premier League?”
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On Soccer Saturday, Tim Sherwood explained why he sees no merit in Igor Tudor taking on the role of Tottenham Hotspur’s interim head coach.
“If it wasn’t for the toxic nature of the fans, Thomas Frank would still be there and I can understand their frustration with the lack of results.
“I heard he was sleepwalking into the championship. I think he’ll be good enough to get out of there even with an injury, but he won’t be judged on that.
“And the downside is so big that he has no choice but to fail. He doesn’t get credit for keeping Tottenham in the league.”
Merson: “Spurs need to play like Arsenal”
Paul Merson speaks on Soccer Saturday:
“At so-called big clubs, you don’t get that much time. You have to get results.
“The fans sack you. Managers are rarely sacked, but all the fans are rooting for your name. It’s a panic station now.
“They needed to get a left-field player. They’re going to play 12 games, but if they keep this up everyone will say, ‘Of course they were going to stay.’
“If they don’t do that, I don’t know where he (Tudor) will go after this.
“But I don’t think they will lose. I would be shocked. They have too many good players. They have to organize themselves and keep winning points.
“When you take over as a new manager, you can sit in the back ten from the ball. You can do that next week against Arsenal and the crowd won’t be furious.”
“In football games you have to win, so when you’re losing every week you have to attack.
“I watch Tottenham and it’s like an end-to-end game. They have to start playing like Arsenal play. They have to get out of the base and score here.
“It will be interesting to see what Tudor does. He likes them to work hard, which is absolutely necessary. Working hard is the norm and they will move on from there.”
“So they’ll keep getting up, but next time they’ll have to get along with the next manager.”
Tottenham’s next 6 games
February 22: Arsenal (h), Premier League – Kick-off 4:30pm, live on Sky Sports
March 1: Fulham (a), Premier League – 2pm kick-off, live on Sky Sports
March 5: Crystal Palace (h), Premier League – 8pm kick-off
15 March: Liverpool (a), Premier League – kick-off 4.30pm, live on Sky Sports
March 17/18: Champions League last 16, first leg (opponents to be determined)
22nd March: Nottom Forest (h), Premier League, 2.15pm kick-off, live on Sky Sports
