Tottenham confirm interim head coach’s exit after one point from five Premier League games in charge
Interim head coach Igor Tudor has left Tottenham by mutual consent after taking one point from five Premier League matches during the former Juventus boss’s brief tenure at the relegation-threatened club.
Ex-Croatia international Tudor took over on a temporary basis from Thomas Frank when the Dane was sacked after eight months in charge on February 14, but the Europa League holders have acted after a 3-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest last Sunday left them a point above third-bottom West Ham with seven league games remaining.
A statement from the club read: “We can confirm that it has been mutually agreed for Head Coach Igor Tudor to leave the Club with immediate effect.
“Tomislav Rogic and Riccardo Ragnacci have also left their respective roles of Goalkeeping Coach and Physical Coach. We thank Igor, Tomislav and Riccardo for their efforts during the past six weeks, in which they worked tirelessly.
“We also acknowledge the bereavement that Igor has recently suffered and send our support to him and his family at this difficult time. An update on a new Head Coach will be provided in due course.”
Why did Tottenham sack Igor Tudor?
The thrashing by Forest, who had been the only team between Spurs and West Ham, was a fifth defeat in seven matches in all competitions for Tudor.
The 47-year-old avoided defeat for the first time in Tottenham’s preceding games with a last-gasp 1-1 league draw at Liverpool and 3-2 home win over Atletico Madrid in the Champions League last 16, although they exited 7-5 on aggregate courtesy of a 5-2 first-leg hammering.
Speaking during the Forest game, former Spurs goalkeeper Paul Robinson said the point at Anfield had been a “poor result” because “a point was no good and it kept [Tudor] in his job”.
“Tactically, every single game, he’s set up in a different way with different personnel,” Robinson told BBC Radio 5 Live, describing Spurs as being in a “really bad place”.
“Players are looking over to the bench going ‘where am I playing?’ They get to the final third and there’s no quality, no movement.
“There’s no fluidity, no creativity and they just look devoid of ideas. They are bang in trouble.
“You look around the stadium and it’s a sad sight, it really is. There are more empty blue seats than full ones.”
Speaking to TNT Sports after a 3-1 home defeat to struggling Crystal Palace on March 5, Tudor said he “believed even more than before” that Tottenham could turn their form around.
But former England midfielder Joe Cole told the broadcaster that the role could have gone to “someone with a bit of experience” in the Premier League instead of Tudor, such as former Spurs favourites Glenn Hoddle or Harry Redknapp.
“This was absolutely nailed on for someone like a Robbie Keane; someone who’s gone and proven himself, club legend,” added Cole.
Here are Tottenham’s results under Tudor.
| Date | Competition | Opponents | Score |
| Feb 22 | Premier League | Arsenal (H) | L 4-1 |
| Mar 1 | Premier League | Fulham (A) | L 2-1 |
| Mar 5 | Premier League | Palace (H) | L 3-1 |
| Mar 10 | Champions League | Atletico Madrid (A) | L 2–5 |
| Mar 15 | Premier League | Liverpool (A) | D 1–1 |
| Mar 18 | Champions League | Atleti (H) | W 3–2 |
| Mar 22 | Premier League | Forest (H) | L 3-0 |
Igor Tudor record, career
Defender or defensive midfielder Tudor started his playing career at Hajduk Split before joining Juve as a player in 1998.
He won Serie A twice and Serie B once with the club and reached the 2002/23 Champions League final, returning to Hajduk for the final season of his playing days in 2007/08.
The Croatian Footballer of the Year in 2001, Tudor won 55 caps for Croatia and helped them finish third at the 1998 World Cup.
He started his managerial career with Hajduk in 2012, winning the Croatian Cup the following year. Tudor became Juve boss in March 2025 but was dismissed on October 27 after an eight-game winless run in all competitions.
| Club | Years |
| Hajduk Split | 2013-15 |
| PAOK | 2015-16 |
| Karabukspor | 2016-17 |
| Galatasaray | 2017 |
| Udinese | 2018 |
| Udinese | 2019 |
| Hajduk Split | 2020 |
| Verona | 2021-22 |
| Marseille | 2022-23 |
| Lazio | 2024 |
| Juventus | 2025 |
| Tottenham | 2026 |
Why did Tottenham sack Thomas Frank?
Frank established former club Brentford as a solid Premier League side and joined Spurs from the Bees last June following the dismissal of Ange Postecoglou, who had led Tottenham to Europa League glory a month earlier.
At the time of Frank’s expensive sacking, Tottenham had failed to win any of their previous eight Premier League games and were on a run of 12 points from 17 matches.
With some teams around the lower end of the table starting to improve, Spurs made their decision with the club five points above the relegation zone.
The Dane had voiced certainty that he would remain in charge following a 2-1 home defeat to Newcastle, only to leave the following day with a record of 13 wins in 38 games in charge in all competitions.
What’s next for Tottenham? Will Spurs stay up?
Spurs remain the only Premier League side yet to win in the top flight in 2026 and the international break means they do not play again until they visit 11th-placed Sunderland on April 12.
After the defeat to Forest, they were fourth-favourites to go down with bookmakers behind Wolves, Burnley and West Ham.
At the time, stats experts Opta gave Tottenham a 27.1% chance of relegation and predicted they would stay up at West Ham’s expense, finishing a point or two above the Hammers.
Here are Tottenham’s next five fixtures.
| Date | Opponents | Kick-off time (BST) |
| April 12 | Sunderland (A) | 14:00 |
| April 18 | Brighton (H) | 17:30 |
| April 25 | Wolves (A) | 15:00 |
| May 2 | Aston Villa (A) | 15:00 |
| May 9 | Leeds United (H) | 15:00 |
