Igor Tudor has agreed to become Tottenham Hotspur's interim head coach until the end of the season, following the sacking of Thomas Frank. The 47-year-old Croatian will take charge ahead of the north London derby against Arsenal on 22 February 2026. His appointment aims to address Tottenham's precarious position, sitting 16th in the Premier League and five points above the relegation zone.
Igor Tudor, a 47-year-old former Juventus manager, has reached a verbal agreement to serve as Tottenham Hotspur's interim head coach for the remainder of the 2025-26 Premier League season. The deal, reported on 13 February 2026, awaits final contractual details. Tudor, who has been out of work since his October 2025 dismissal from Juventus, will begin training with the squad early the following week. His first match in charge will be the home Premier League fixture against Arsenal on 22 February.
Tottenham parted ways with Thomas Frank on Wednesday after a 2-1 home defeat to Newcastle United, leaving the club in 16th place and five points clear of the relegation zone. The team has won just two of their last 17 league games. Spurs sought an experienced interim coach known for short-term stabilization and attacking play, with Tudor's profile matching these criteria due to his stints at top European clubs.
Tudor typically employs a three-at-the-back formation, emphasizing intense pressing, high running volume, and aggressive vertical play. As George Boxall, a journalist who covered Tudor's time at Marseille, told BBC Sport: "His style is intense... lots of intensity, lots of pressing. He is a really strong personality." Pierre-Etienne Minonzio of L'Equipe added: "He asks his players to run a lot. In a previous interview he said 'If you don't run, you don't play'."
During his 2022-23 season at Marseille, Tudor led the team to third in Ligue 1 using a consistent 3-5-2 setup, surpassing the previous year's points total despite challenges with players like Dimitri Payet, who was benched for lacking intensity. At Juventus, appointed in March 2025, he initially guided the side from fifth to fourth place, securing Champions League qualification, but was sacked after an eight-game winless streak amid tensions with club management over transfers and team selection.
Earlier, in 2024 at Lazio, Tudor took over in March and won five of nine league games, helping secure seventh place and Europa League qualification before resigning. Italian journalist Daniele Verri described Tudor's approach: "Tudor is an aggressive manager and that is also what he demands from his clubs... A lot of pressing. When he conquers the ball, he goes vertical."
Tottenham plans to appoint a permanent successor in the summer, but Tudor's immediate focus is avoiding relegation. His managerial record includes spells at Hajduk Split, PAOK, Galatasaray, Udinese, Hellas Verona, and others, with points-per-game averages ranging from 1.29 to 1.91.
