Igor Tudor: Tottenham confirm former Juventus boss as head coach for rest of season
Former Juventus boss Igor Tudor will take charge at Tottenham until the end of the season; he has been out of work since October; Spurs will look to name a long-term successor to Thomas Frank in the summer; they face Arsenal next on Sky Sports on February 22
Saturday 14 February 2026 13:12, UK
Tottenham Hotspur have announced Igor Tudor as their new head coach until the end of the season.
The Croatian's priority will be keeping Spurs in the Premier League after Thomas Frank was sacked with the club 16th in the table and just five points above the relegation zone.
A club statement said as much upon the announcement, reading: "Igor joins us with a clear focus: to improve performances, deliver results and move us up the Premier League table.
"His mandate is straightforward - bring organisation, intensity and competitive edge to the squad at a decisive stage of the campaign."
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Tudor said of his arrival: "It is an honour to join this club at an important moment. I understand the responsibility I have been handed and my focus is clear. To bring greater consistency to our performances and compete with conviction in every match.
"There is strong quality in this playing squad, and my job is to organise it, energise it and improve our results quickly."
Sporting director Johan Lange added: "Igor brings clarity, intensity and experience of stepping into challenging moments and producing impact.
"Our objective is straightforward - to stabilise performances, maximise the quality within the squad and compete strongly in the Premier League and Champions League."
Spurs will look to name a long-term successor to Frank in the summer after the Dane was sacked on Wednesday following Tuesday's home defeat to Newcastle.
Tudor, who usually deploys a three-at-the-back formation, will take over a Spurs side who have won just two of their last 17 league games.
The 47-year-old has been out of work since October after being sacked by Juve, having also previously managed Lazio, Marseille, Galatasaray and Udinese. He comes with a reputation for stabilising struggling sides in the short term.
Why Spurs have chosen Tudor...
Spurs looked to appoint an experienced head coach who has a track record of going into clubs and making an immediate impact, and Tudor fits that bill.
Tudor was appointed at Juventus and Lazio in March of each of the last two seasons and stabilised results in the short term.
At Juventus, he inherited a team from Thiago Motta that sat fifth in Serie A, outside the Champions League places, after back-to-back defeats that capped a disastrous February in which the club were knocked out of the Champions League and the Coppa Italia.
Tudor guided Juve to fourth in Serie A and sealed Champions League qualification after losing just one of his 11 games in charge. This earned the Croatian a two-year contract, although Juventus sacked him just four months later after results deteriorated.
At Lazio, Tudor took over from Marizio Sarri in March 2024 on an 18-month contract. The former Chelsea boss had resigned after a fifth defeat in six games with Lazio in ninth.
Tudor won five of his nine games as Lazio boss, losing just once, to secure a seventh-placed finish and Europa League qualification. He resigned at the end of the season after three months in charge.
Sherwood: If Tudor keeps Spurs up, he gets no credit
Tim Sherwood on Soccer Saturday:
"If he beats Arsenal in the first game, everything's happy. He might even get the job. There'd be a statue of him.
"It's going to be difficult. He has no knowledge of the Premier League and people will say, does that matter? It doesn't matter if you're taking a job at the top of the league, but you're coming in.
"What is the upside for him? If he finishes 12th, he's getting no credit. The downside is so catastrophic, would you want your fingerprints all over Tottenham getting relegated from the Premier League?
"Thomas Frank would still be there if it wasn't for the toxic nature of the fans and I can totally understand the disgruntlement of the fans, because they're not getting the results.
"I heard people say they are sleepwalking into the Championship. I think they'll have enough, even with the injuries, to get out of it, but he will get no credit for that.
"And the downside is so great, it can only fail. He's getting no credit for keeping Tottenham in the league."
Merson: Spurs need to play like Arsenal
Paul Merson on Soccer Saturday:
"You don't get that much time at so-called big clubs. You have to get results.
"Fans get you the sack. Very rarely does a manager get the sack and all the fans are cheering your name. It's panic stations now.
"They had to get someone in who was left-field. They're coming in for 12 games and if they keep them up, everyone would say 'of course they were going to stay up'.
"And if they don't, then I don't know where he [Tudor] goes after this.
"But I don't see them going down. I would be shocked. They've got too many good players. They've got to get organised and keep on nicking points.
"When you come in as a new manager, you can sit ten behind the ball. You can do that against Arsenal next week and the crowd isn't going to go mad.
"When you're losing week in, week out, you have to attack because you have to win a football match.
"I watch Tottenham and it's like an end-to-end match. They've got to start playing like Arsenal play - they've got to come from a base and nick a point here.
"It'll be interesting what Tudor does. He likes them to work hard - that's an absolute must. That's the norm to work hard and then they'll go from there.
"So they'll stay up, but they have to get it right next time with the next manager."
Tottenham's next six games
February 22: Arsenal (h), Premier League - kick-off 4.30pm, live on Sky Sports
March 1: Fulham (a), Premier League - kick-off 2pm, live on Sky Sports
March 5: Crystal Palace (h), Premier League - kick-off 8pm
March 15: Liverpool (a), Premier League - kick-off 4.30pm, live on Sky Sports
March 17/18: Champions League last 16, first leg (opponent TBC)
March 22: Nott'm Forest (h), Premier League, kick-off 2.15pm, live on Sky Sports
