Igor Tudor has left Tottenham by “mutual consent” as the danger of relegation from the Premier League forced another desperate move from the club in their bid to avoid dropping out of the top flight for the first time since 1977.
Tudor, a left-field appointment when he replaced Thomas Frank in February, departs after just 44 days, having failed to improve the mood around the club. He is also in mourning after being informed of the death of his father following the defeat to Nottingham Forest last week.
The dismal 3-0 home loss to fellow strugglers Forest left Spurs on the precipice of the relegation zone, only a point above West Ham with seven matches of the season remaining. They are winless in their last 13 Premier League games, their longest run without a top-flight success in 91 years.
While Spurs had performed better in Europe this season than domestically, their dire run of form only got worse with an embarrassing 5-2 capitulation against Atletico Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League tie, with a futile second-leg success their only win under Tudor.
The Croatian’s man-management skills were seriously questioned after he replaced first-choice keeper Guglielmo Vicario with deputy Antonin Kinsky in Madrid, despite the Czech having only played twice for Spurs this season, and those only in the Carabao Cup.
Kinsky was handed his Champions League debut away to Atletico but was hooked after a calamitous opening 17 minutes in which he conceded three times, with Tudor criticised further for not acknowledging the 22-year-old as he headed down the tunnel.
The decision of who to appoint for the rest of the campaign is perhaps the club’s most important in a generation. Frank was deeply unpopular, with a toxic atmosphere growing towards the end of his eight months in charge, but the move of turning to Tudor, a manager with no Premier League experience, has backfired.
The former Juventus and Lazio boss was seen as an experienced short-term solution, with the former Croatia international boasting a record of making an immediate impact at clubs when taking over in mid-season, but it was also an undeniable gamble given Spurs’s position.
Tudor said he was “100 per cent” confident that Tottenham would avoid relegation, but a 4-1 home defeat to Arsenal in his first match was followed by a 2-1 loss at Fulham, where the 47-year-old said his new side were “lacking” in attack, midfield and defence. “An amazing situation,” he said. “Amazing.”
Goalkeeping coach Tomislav Rogic and physical coach Riccardo Ragnacci have also left the club. Tottenham announced the decision to depart with Tudor and his team in a statement that reads: “We can confirm that it has been mutually agreed for Head Coach Igor Tudor to leave the Club with immediate effect.
“Tomislav Rogic and Riccardo Ragnacci have also left their respective roles of Goalkeeping Coach and Physical Coach. We thank Igor, Tomislav and Riccardo for their efforts during the past six weeks, in which they worked tirelessly.
“We also acknowledge the bereavement that Igor has recently suffered and send our support to him and his family at this difficult time. An update on a new Head Coach will be provided in due course.”
Sean Dyche has been mentioned as a possible successor as Spurs look to avert relegation after the experienced Premier League manager was dismissed by Nottingham Forest in February. A return for Mauricio Pochettino is complicated by the upcoming World Cup, where he is manager of co-hosts the United States, while other former Tottenham bosses Harry Redknapp and Tim Sherwood have also been mooted as potential short-term solutions.
Tottenham’s next match is away at Sunderland on 12 April.
