Frank Rondel
Tottenham Hotspur have reached a verbal agreement to appoint Igor Tudor as interim head coach until the conclusion of the current seasoncustomreceipt.com via The Atletic. The move follows the dismissal of Thomas Frank on Wednesday, with Tudor, the former Croatian international and experienced coach of Juventus, Marseille, and Galatasaray, identified as Tottenham’s preferred candidate. Tudor is expected to join on a contract running until the summer, without an option for a permanent role, bringing a proven record of working with top-tier clubs and making an immediate impact.
The 47-year-old’s appointment has been overseen by Tottenham’s CEO Vinai Venkatesham and sporting director Johan Lange, while the club intends to consider a wider pool of candidates during the summer for a permanent managerial appointment. Tottenham’s next fixture, which may also mark Tudor’s debut as head coach, is the high-profile North London derby against Arsenal scheduled for next weekend.
Tudor was relieved of his duties at Juventus in October after just seven months, with the club sitting eighth in Serie A following an eight-game winless streak. As a player, he made 174 appearances for Juventus across nine seasons, securing two league titles in 2002 and 2003. He began his coaching career at Croatian side Hajduk Split in 2013 and subsequently managed PAOK, Karabukspor, Galatasaray, and Udinese before returning to Juventus as part of Andrea Pirlo’s coaching staff in 2020. Following that season, he led Hellas Verona, Marseille, and Lazio.
Thomas Frank’s departure comes after eight months in charge, during which Tottenham struggled in domestic competition, failing to secure victories in eight league games and winning only twice in their last 17 matches. The club remained five points above the relegation zone in 16th place. Despite these difficulties, Spurs had already advanced automatically to the Champions League last-16 stage after finishing fourth in the competition’s group phase. Frank had been appointed in June on a three-year deal to succeed Ange Postecoglou, finishing his tenure with 13 wins, 15 losses, and 38 games in charge.
Tudor brings a strong record as an interim manager. He successfully guided Lazio to Europa League qualification in March 2024 and took over Juventus last spring after replacing Thiago Motta, ensuring they retained Champions League qualification. He previously worked with Tottenham’s former co-sporting director Fabio Paratici at Juventus during the 2020-21 season as assistant to Pirlo, gaining familiarity with players like Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur, and worked with Randal Kolo Muani last season. Known for instilling discipline, Tudor typically deploys a 3-4-2-1 formation, first gaining attention with this system at Hellas Verona, and it remains to be seen how Tottenham’s squad will adapt to his approach.
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