LONDON -- Tottenham Hotspur parted ways with manager Igor Tudor on Sunday, just 43 days after his appointment as interim coach, leaving the club teetering even closer to relegation in a season that has exposed deep-seated issues within the organization.
The Croatian tactician was brought in on February 20 to replace Thomas Frank, with the club hoping his midseason expertise could stabilize a squad mired in poor form. According to a Tottenham statement at the time, Tudor's mission was "to improve performances, deliver results and move Spurs up the Premier League table." Instead, his tenure ended with Spurs in 17th place, just one point above the relegation zone with seven games remaining in the campaign.
Tudor's dismissal comes amid a broader crisis at Tottenham, a club that won the UEFA Europa League under previous manager Ange Postecoglou but has since lost 46 games across all competitions since the start of last season. The domestic rot began in the second half of the prior year, fostering widespread anger and apathy among fans who view the club as directionless under its ownership. ESPN sources indicated that Tottenham is now pursuing Roberto De Zerbi as the next head coach, though the Italian has expressed openness to the role only at the end of the season and provided the club avoids relegation.
Sporting director Johan Lange defended the decision to hire Tudor in a rare interview on February 20. "We interviewed a few candidates," Lange said. "Igor impressed us very, very much in the interview. Obviously, we also managed to take references of Igor. He comes in with very big experience at the highest level in football." Lange highlighted Tudor's track record of boosting teams midseason, noting successes at Udinese (twice), Hellas Verona, Lazio, and Juventus, where he increased points-per-game averages upon arrival.
"There is a big difference, if you are a coach for example, who has only started a new job on July 1," Lange added. "You have six or seven weeks to prepare to get to know the club. I'm not saying that necessarily is easy, but that's a different challenge. If you come in here on the Monday and you are playing at the weekend, you need to build relationships with the players immediately."
Tudor wasted no time implementing changes, reportedly increasing training intensity to address perceived fitness issues among the players. He publicly expressed confidence, stating he was "100% convinced" Spurs would avoid relegation and dismissing talk of the drop as a waste of time. His first match in charge was a home Premier League clash against leaders Arsenal on February 24, a fixture that briefly united fans behind the new appointment despite the rivalry's intensity.
Spurs held Arsenal to a 1-1 halftime score, but the Gunners pulled away in the second half for a 4-1 victory. Post-match, Tudor was candid about the club's deeper problems. "What is the goal of this club? What is the goal of this team? What is the goal of this coach, these players, this staff?" he asked. "To become serious. Serious, not just a group of 20 players, and the medicine is you look in the mirror. Each of us look in the mirror and really try, really start to change the habits."
The following week, a 2-1 loss at Fulham drew even sharper criticism from Tudor, who claimed the team "lacked everything" across the pitch. ESPN sources reported internal surprise at his harsh public assessment of a squad already low on confidence. By the third consecutive defeat, a home loss to Crystal Palace on March 5, Tudor's tone shifted, as he professed "more belief than ever" in the group, though results failed to reflect any turnaround.
Tudor's tactical experiments added to the turmoil. He alternated between a back three and a back four, even deploying natural full-back Pedro Porro as a right-sided center-back against Palace. In the UEFA Champions League round-of-16 first leg against Atletico Madrid on March 12, he controversially dropped first-choice goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario -- who had faced jeers from fans late in Frank's tenure -- in favor of Antonin Kinsky.
The decision backfired spectacularly. Kinsky erred for two early goals and was substituted after just 17 minutes, the earliest such exit for a goalkeeper in a Champions League knockout tie. Tudor offered no consolation as the 22-year-old left the pitch, and teammates Conor Gallagher, Joao Palhinha, and Dominic Solanke soon followed down the tunnel in a 5-2 defeat. ESPN sources said several players were stunned by the approach, though others believed a tough stance was necessary to highlight the gravity of the situation.
Sources have told ESPN that several players were stunned by Tudor's approach, but others in the squad believed a hard line was needed in general to make the group aware of the situation they were in.
Publicly, Tudor urged players to be "on the boat," but privately, sources indicated he developed doubts about the character of key first-team members. Calls for his sacking grew louder after the Madrid loss. However, ESPN reported the next day that Tudor would get at least one more game, a trip to Liverpool on March 16 -- a venue where Spurs have won only twice in the Premier League era.
Defying expectations, Tottenham earned a 1-1 draw at Anfield through a late Richarlison strike, showing resilience despite 13 players being sidelined by injury. Their Premier League winless streak stretched to three months, but momentum appeared to build four days later with a 3-2 home win over Atletico Madrid on March 20. Though eliminated from the Champions League on a 7-5 aggregate score, it marked Spurs' first victory in any competition in eight weeks.
The stage seemed set for a pivotal Premier League match against relegation rivals Nottingham Forest on March 23. Tottenham hyped the atmosphere with early drinks promotions, street greetings for the team bus, and a prematch social media call to action from captain Cristian Romero. Fans responded, creating an electric pre-kickoff buzz, but Spurs faltered, conceding on the stroke of halftime to Igor Jesus and ultimately losing 3-0.
ESPN sources noted that Frank had worked behind the scenes to address the squad's poor response to setbacks, one of many challenges Tudor inherited, including injuries, fractured fan relations, and organizational disarray. Tragedy compounded the defeat: Tudor learned of his father Mario's death afterward and was placed on compassionate leave before the mutual parting on Sunday.
Now, with the managerial position vacant for the third time this season, CEO Vinai Venkatesham and Lange face scrutiny over the Tudor hire. Efforts to lure De Zerbi immediately are underway, but success hinges on immediate results to stave off relegation. Failure could mark this as one of the darkest chapters in Tottenham's 143-year history, accelerating a slide that began long before Tudor's ill-fated arrival.