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Igor Tudor has been announced as Tottenham’s interim head coach on a deal until the end of the season.
Spurs dismissed Thomas Frank on Wednesday after a dismal display in a 2-1 defeat at home to Newcastle a day earlier left the club in 16th position and only five points above the Premier League relegation zone.
Frank departed after only seven months following a run of two wins in 17 league fixtures, and Tottenham have turned to the experienced Croatian coach in their bid to move away from the bottom three.
“It is an honour to join this club at an important moment,” Tudor said. “I understand the responsibility I have been handed and my focus is clear. To bring greater consistency to our performances and compete with conviction in every match.
Igor Tudor
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Playing days
An imposing centre-back, Tudor broke through at hometown club Hajduk Split before joining Juventus in 1998. He spent nine years in Turin, winning two Serie A titles before returning to Hajduk. Tudor also won 55 Croatia caps, playing at the 1998 and 2006 World Cups and scoring against England at Euro 2004.
Early managerial career
Tudor's first managerial job came at Hajduk, winning the Croatian Cup in 2013. He lasted just nine months at Greek side Paok before being sacked due to "unsuccessful results and criticism of the team". After a year at Karabukspor, Tudor moved to Galatasaray but was sacked after 10 months, having struggled in Europe and fallen out with star player Wesley Sneijder.
Return to Italy
Tudor was named head coach of Udinese in April 2018 and saved the club from relegation. He left in the summer, but returned to Friuli in March 2019. Tudor rejoined Hadjuk in January 2020 but after just eight months he was back in Italy, joining Juventus as Andrea Pirlo's assistant. The pair won the 2021 Coppa Italia but failed to regain the title and were dismissed. "I think it was unfair," Tudor said. "I've decided I will no longer work as an assistant for anybody else."
Season in Verona and Marseille move
Tudor was hired by Verona in September 2021 after they started the season with three league defeats. He improved things quickly, guiding them to a ninth-placed finish – but again leaving at the end of the season. Tudor's next job came at Marseille, where he replaced Jorge Sampaoli. The team finished third in Ligue 1 but flopped in the Champions League, losing twice to Tottenham. He announced his exit in June after "a great year", saying he was "tired" of managing Marseille.
Lazio stint and return to Juventus
Tudor waited nine months for his next job, which came at Lazio after Maurizio Sarri resigned. After winning six of his 11 games in charge and sealing a Europa League spot, Tudor walked away after reported disputes with the club hierarchy over transfer targets. Having previously been linked with a return to Juventus, Tudor replaced Thiago Motta in March 2025, guiding the club to fourth place. He signed a contract extension until 2028, but was sacked in October after an eight-game winless run. Guardian sport
Win percentages by club
Hadjuk Split (first stint) 44.9%
Paok 37.78%
Karabukspor 38.1%
Galatasaray 55.9%
Udinese (combined) 42.3%
Hadjuk Split (second stint) 50.0%
Verona 38.9%
Marseille 56.3%
Lazio 54.6%
Juventus 41.7%
Photograph: Jamie, Mcdonald/02 ALLSPORT UK
“There is strong quality in this playing squad, and my job is to organise it, energise it and improve our results quickly.”
Once Spurs chief executive Vinai Venkatesham – along with other influential figures – decided Frank’s tenure had to end, they switched focus to how best to salvage the 2025-26 campaign.
With a wider pool of managerial candidates to pick from in the summer, including former boss Mauricio Pochettino, Tottenham elected to go down the interim route for the final three months of this season.
An experienced interim manager was favoured and Spurs have chosen Tudor, who has in recent years gone into Lazio and Juventus midway through league campaigns and delivered an instant upturn in results.
Tudor’s lack of Premier League experience has raised eyebrows amongst an already disgruntled and concerned Tottenham fanbase, especially given relegation to the second tier of English football for the first time since 1977 is a real possibility.
However, the former Juventus defender faced Spurs on two occasions during his time at Marseille in 2022 and won five of his nine matches at Lazio after his March arrival in the 2023-24 campaign.
Tudor produced an equally-impressive revival in Turin last year when he guided Juventus into the Serie A top-four with five victories during the final two months of the campaign, before he was dismissed in October.
Tottenham’s hierarchy will be desperate for Tudor to enjoy a similar upturn, but his first match in charge is a north London derby with Premier League leaders Arsenal on February 22 and the 47-year-old will be missing up to 12 players.
Captain Cristian Romero is suspended in a blow to Tudor, who has favoured a three-man defence and wing-backs system in recent jobs. Tudor will be familiar with some members of the Spurs squad after he worked with forward Randal Kolo Muani at Juve last season and has coached Radu Dragusin, Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski in the past, but the latter two are currently sidelined.
