Igor Tudor leaves role as Tottenham’s interim manager just 44 DAYS after being appointed after disastrous Nottingham Forest defeat worsens their relegation fears
Igor Tudor has stepped down as Tottenham’s interim manager and Spurs believe there is a real possibility of relegation from the Premier League.
Tudor was only appointed on Valentine’s Day following the sacking of Thomas Frank, but failed to address Tottenham’s worrying situation and learned his father had passed away after his team’s final game.
The club confirmed that the two sides had mutually agreed to part ways, insisting that an update on the new manager would ‘be provided in due course’.
The Croatian was handed a last-minute draw against current champions Liverpool on March 15, after suffering four straight league defeats at the start of his short tenure.
However, a week later he saw his team lose 3-0 at home to relegation-threatened rivals Nottingham Forest, and this was the final straw.
The 47-year-old player, who had four defeats and a draw in the five Premier League matches he was in charge of, was just one point behind Spurs and ranked 17th with 30 points.
Igor Tudor left his position as interim coach of Tottenham after losing 3-0 to Nottingham Forest.
Spurs are battling relegation and could fall from the top flight for the first time since 1977.
The fierce rival West Ham is in the 18th place with 29 points, and both teams have seven matches remaining.
Spurs took the second half of the international break to find a replacement for Tudor, who attended his father Mario’s funeral in his native Croatia this week.
Their first game is at Sunderland (April 12), then they end the month with a home game against Brighton (April 18) and then travel to Wolves (April 25).
May begins with them chasing Aston Villa into the Champions League (May 2nd) before a home clash with Leeds (May 9th). They then make the short trip to West London to face arch-rivals Chelsea (17 May) before finishing the season at home to Everton (24 May).
Spurs confirmed in a statement on Sunday afternoon that Tomislav Rogic and Riccardo Ragnacci have also left their roles as goalkeeping coach and physical trainer respectively.
They added: ‘We would like to thank Igor, Tomislav and Riccardo for their tireless efforts over the last six weeks. ‘We also remember Igor’s recent grief and send support to him and his family at this difficult time.’
Names such as Roberto De Zerbi and Sean Dyche have been linked with the vacancy.
Tudor’s short spell also saw Spurs eliminated from the Champions League last 16 after losing 7-5 on aggregate to Atletico Madrid.
The Croatian has suffered four consecutive league defeats and one draw at the start of his short tenure.
The north London outfit lost 5-2 in the first leg in Spain and regained some pride with a 3-2 win on Wednesday, Tudor’s only victory.
During his tenure he seemingly alienated the player group with his decision to hook young Czech goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky. His 17-minute appearance, which included two glaring errors in the 5-2 defeat against Atletico, sparked criticism.
His departure means he has spent just 44 days in the North London hot seat.
Tudor was seen as someone who would fit Spurs’ brief with a wealth of experience and a reputation for quickly making an impact. But this was not to be.
If Tottenham were to be relegated, it would be their first relegation from the top flight since 1977.
