Tottenham Hotspur have appointed former Juventus manager Igor Tudor as interim head coach until the end of the season, following the sacking of Thomas Frank. The 47-year-old Croatian will take charge amid the club's struggles in the Premier League. His first match will be against Arsenal on February 22.
Tottenham Hotspur dismissed Thomas Frank on Wednesday after eight months in charge, during which the team recorded 13 wins in 38 games across all competitions. The decision came after a 2-1 home defeat to Newcastle United on Tuesday, leaving Spurs without a Premier League win in their last eight matches and just five points above the relegation zone. Frank had joined Tottenham last June following Ange Postecoglou's departure, after Postecoglou led the club to Europa League success.
Igor Tudor, a former Croatia international with 55 caps, steps in as interim manager. The 47-year-old, who played over 150 games for Juventus and won two Serie A titles as a player, began his managerial career at Hajduk Split in 2012, where he secured the Croatian Cup the following year. His coaching stints include PAOK, Galatasaray, Udinese, Hellas Verona, Marseille, Lazio, and Juventus. At Marseille in 2022-2023, he implemented a 3-5-2 formation emphasizing intensity and pressing, finishing third in Ligue 1 despite challenges with player fitness demands. French journalist Pierre-Etienne Minonzio noted Tudor's philosophy: "If you don't run, you don't play."
Tudor took over at Juventus in March 2025 as interim coach after Thiago Motta's exit, later securing the role full-time following a fourth-place Serie A finish and Champions League qualification. However, he was sacked on October 27, 2025, after an eight-game winless run across competitions, leaving the club eighth in Serie A. Italian journalist Daniele Verri highlighted tensions with general manager Damien Commoli over transfers and team selection as factors in his departure.
Spurs chose Tudor for his experience at top European clubs and reputation for aggressive, attacking football, aiming to address criticisms of their style under Frank. George Boxall, a journalist who covered Tudor's time at Marseille, described his approach as providing an "electroshock" through high-intensity training. Tottenham's next fixtures include a home game against leaders Arsenal on February 22 (16:30 GMT), followed by an away match at Fulham on March 1. In the Champions League, they face a play-off winner in the last 16, with the draw on February 27.
