Tottenham keeper Antonin Kinsky was replaced just 17 minutes into his side’s Champions League last-16 first leg after a disastrous debut.
Head coach Igor Tudor opted to replace first-choice keeper Guglielmo Vicario with Kinsky for the first leg of their knockout tie against Atletico Madrid, despite the Czech having only made two appearances this season, both in the Carabao Cup.
It was a baptism of fire for Kinsky, who endured a torrid start in just his 13th appearance for the club, with Spurs ultimately losing 5-2 and further piling pressure on the squad and manager.
The 22-year-old let in Atletico’s first goal just six minutes into proceedings at the Metropolitano.
He slipped on a routine pass out from the back amid damp conditions in Madrid, fumbling the ball and allowing Ademola Lookman to gain possession.
Marcos Llorente then slotted home an easy finish in an embarrassing start for crisis-ridden Spurs, who were fourth in the Champions League table going into the knockouts but in relegation form at home, and have carried that dire run into the knockout stage in Europe.
Defender Micky van de Ven slipped a few minutes later attempting to clear a ball forward by Llorente, with Antoine Griezmann picking up the ball and finishing past Kinsky again.
A mere minute later and just 15 minutes into the first half Kinsky was again at fault, slipping again on the ball and falling flat on the pitch, and allowing Julian Alvarez to stroll forward and tap into an empty net at leisure.
Tudor opted to immediately replace his keeper with his initial decision to bench Vicario totally backfiring.
Kinsky was consoled by teammates Joao Palhinha, Conor Gallagher and Dominic Solanke as he left the pitch, with captain Cristian Romero and Kevin Danso hugging him before he headed straight down the tunnel.
The Atletico fans also showed their support, applauding him off sympathetically.
While it was a calamitous 15 minutes for Kinsky it was also a terrible beginning to the game for Tudor, whose judgement will be further questioned in just his fourth game in charge.
Vicario conceded a goal from Robin le Normand as Spurs went 4-0 down in the first 22 minutes, with Alvarez adding a second in the second half, and goals from Pedro Porro and Dominic Solanke barely a consolation after another dismal outing.
Fiorentina keeper David de Gea, who began his career at Atletico before a long spell at Manchester United, posted in support of Kinsky on social media.
The Spaniard wrote: “No one who hasn’t been a goalkeeper can understand how difficult it is to play in this position. Keep your head up and you will go again.”
