Igor Tudor: Tottenham's new interim head coach profile—former Juventus, Lazio boss tasked with Premier League survival. Tactics, record, and fixtures.
Igor Tudor: Tottenham's New Interim Head Coach (Image: X)
Igor Tudor has agreed to become Tottenham Hotspur's interim head coach until the end of the 2025-26 season, tasked with steering the club five points above the Premier League relegation zone. The 47-year-old Croatian, known for making immediate impacts during short-term spells at Juventus and Lazio, takes over after Thomas Frank was sacked following a run of two wins from 17 league matches.
Igor Tudor, a 47-year-old former professional footballer from Croatia, has developed a managerial career on rescue missions and short-term firefighting roles. Tudor was a powerful centre-back who played nine years with Juventus, where he won two Serie A titles and reached the Champions League final in 2003. He gained 55 caps for Croatia and was a member of the side that finished third in the 1998 World Cup. Tudor has taken command of ten different clubs in six nations since moving into management in 2013, acquiring a reputation for cleaning up mistakes.
| Club | Period | Situation | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Udinese (2013, 2019) | Two spells | Relegation-threatened | Kept club in Serie A both times |
| Hellas Verona (2021-22) | Full season | Limited resources | Finished 9th in Serie A |
| Lazio (2024) | 11 games | Team in 9th place | 7th place + Europa League qualification |
| Juventus (2025) | 17 league games | UCL qualification at risk | Secured Champions League spot with one defeat in 11 |
At Juventus, Tudor inherited a team from Thiago Motta that sat fifth in Serie A after back-to-back defeats. He guided them to fourth and Champions League qualification, losing just one of his first 11 games. At Lazio, he took over from Maurizio Sarri with the club in ninth and won five of nine games to secure seventh place and European football.
Tottenham wanted an interim manager with experience of making an immediate impact, and Tudor fits that profile. The club worked through candidates including former Borussia Dortmund manager Edin Terzic and ex-RB Leipzig boss Marco Rose before settling on Tudor. Spurs are not committing to a long-term appointment now, preferring to keep the position open for potential summer candidates including Mauricio Pochettino and Roberto De Zerbi.
Tudor's favored formation is 3-4-2-1, which he refined at Hellas Verona and Marseille. His teams are constructed around three pillars: heavy pressing, man-oriented marking, and vertical attacks. Tudor loves quick transitions in the middle, winning the ball high up the pitch and creating opportunities before opponents can regroup. In terms of possession recoveries in the final third, his Marseille squad was in the top three in Ligue 1 in 2022-23.
The Croatian's system demands maximum fitness and discipline, with wing-backs advancing to overload midfield zones. His 3-4-2-1 setup is similar to what Ivan Juric used at Southampton, prioritising defensive solidity first. Italian football experts note that Tudor doesn't tend to play with width initially, focusing instead on making teams difficult to beat. His success will depend on whether Spurs' injury-hit squad can adapt to his intensity.
| Manager | Spurs Win % | Time Period |
|---|---|---|
| Thomas Frank | 27% | 2025-2026 |
| Igor Tudor (at Juventus) | 47% | 2025 |
| José Mourinho | 47% | 2019-2021 |
| Ange Postecoglou | 41% | 2023-2025 |
It is said that Tudor is a direct and opinionated person. He is straightforward, emotional, and demands unadulterated dedication from players—exactly the same level of dedication he displayed when playing. He is friendly and approachable during press conferences, but when it comes to the dressing room and the sidelines, he is a stern guy who demands hard effort and discipline. His combative management style has occasionally caused dressing rooms to become estranged for extended periods of time.
Yes. Tudor has worked with several Spurs players before.
Tudor's sole silverware came in his first managerial job, leading hometown club Hajduk Split to the Croatian Cup in May 2013—less than a month after being appointed.
| Date | Opponent | Competition |
|---|---|---|
| February 22 | Arsenal (h) | Premier League |
| March 1 | Fulham (a) | Premier League |
| March 5 | Crystal Palace (h) | Premier League |
| March 15 | Liverpool (a) | Premier League |
| March 17/18 | Champions League last 16 TBC | Champions League |
| March 22 | Nottingham Forest (h) | Premier League |
Despite earning a contract extension after securing Champions League qualification, Tudor was sacked in October 2025 following an eight-match winless run that left Juventus eighth in Serie A. Three straight defeats without scoring ended his tenure.
A: Tudor has agreed to become interim head coach until the end of the 2025-26 season.
A: Yes, if he impresses in the role, though the club is expected to consider summer candidates including Mauricio Pochettino.
A: Tudor is expected to take training for the first time on Monday, February 16.
A: Tudor speaks excellent English, Italian, and Croatian.
A: No, Tottenham will be Tudor's first job in English football.
A: Tudor has a career win percentage of approximately 46-47% across all clubs.
