Tottenham Appoints Igor Tudor as Interim Manager

Tottenham announced on Saturday that they have appointed Igor Tudor as interim manager for the remainder of the season.

The ex-Juventus coach takes over from Thomas Frank, who departed on Wednesday amid Tottenham's precarious position, just five points clear of the Premier League drop zone.

Tudor, a Croatian, and the club's leadership finalised a verbal deal on Friday, which has now received official approval.

"Joining this club during such a crucial phase is a privilege," stated Tudor.

"I am aware of the duties assigned to me, and my priorities are straightforward. To enhance consistency in our play and approach every game with determination.

"The squad boasts considerable talent, and it is my role to structure it, motivate it, and boost our outcomes without delay."

During his time at Juventus, Tudor stepped in during the 2024-25 season when the side was outside the Champions League spots, yet he led them to fourth place, suffering only one loss in his initial 11 fixtures.

However, he could not maintain that success this term and faced dismissal.

The 47 year old was let go in October following an eight game winless streak that dropped the Serie A outfit to eighth in the standings.

Tudor has previous managerial roles at Lazio, Marseille, Verona, Hajduk Split, Galatasaray, and Udinese.

The ex-Croatia international defender now faces the challenge of rectifying the issues from Frank's tenure, who was axed a day after a 2-1 loss to Newcastle on Tuesday.

Appointed from Brentford last year after Ange Postecoglou's exit, Frank was ousted following a poor sequence of just two victories in 17 league outings.

Tottenham's director of football, Johan Lange, anticipates that Tudor will act as a stabilising influence at a club unsettled by Frank's challenging seven month spell.

Besides the fight to evade relegation, unseen since the 1976-77 campaign, the north London side have advanced to the Champions League knockout stage, providing their only positive note this year.

"Igor offers focus, drive, and expertise in handling tough situations to deliver results," Lange commented.

"Our goals are simple, to steady our form, harness the squad's potential, and perform robustly in both the Premier League and Champions League."

The Tottenham squad has a break until Monday, as they lack a fixture this weekend after bowing out of the FA Cup in January.

Choosing an interim coach mirrors Manchester United's approach, where they brought in Michael Carrick until season's end following Ruben Amorim's removal.

Before settling on Tudor, Tottenham were connected to ex-Borussia Dortmund head Edin Terzic and former RB Leipzig coach Marco Rose.

Prospects for the full time role may feature ex-manager Mauricio Pochettino, once his US duties at the summer World Cup conclude in June and July.

Lange and chief executive Vinai Venkatesham may face backlash if Tudor fails to lift results, considering his absence of Premier League background and his style, which echoes the defensive play that frustrated supporters under Frank.

Tottenham's upcoming fixture is the north London clash hosting league toppers Arsenal on February 22.