Tottenham Hotspur have appointed Igor Tudor as head coach for the remainder of the season.
If he is granted a work permit, the Croatian would take over after the departure of Tomas Frank, who was sacked with Spurs after finishing 16th in the Premier League.
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“It’s an honor to join this club at such an important time,” Tudor said.
“I understand the responsibility I have and my focus is clear. Let’s be more consistent and compete with confidence in every game.”
“This team has a lot of quality, and it’s my job to organize them, inspire them, and quickly improve our results.”
Tottenham Hotspur sporting director John Langer said Tudor will bring “the clarity, intensity and experience to go into challenging moments and make an impact”.
Langer added: “Our goals are simple – to perform consistently, maximize the quality of the squad and remain highly competitive in the Premier League and Champions League.”
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Tottenham Hotspur finished fourth in the league under Frank and reached the knockout stages of the Champions League.
Tudor’s first game in charge will be a huge one as Spurs take on north London rivals Arsenal in the Premier League on February 22.
The 47-year-old will have less than a week to try and implement his style of play once players return to training on Monday, and they could be in for a shock.
“His style is very intense,” George Boxall, a football journalist based in Marseille, where Tudor will coach from 2022 to 2023, told BBC Sport.
“The players made a lot of movement. There was a lot of intensity, a lot of pressure.
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“He has a very strong character and if Tottenham feel the need for a shock, he could be a good fit.”
“If you don’t run, you don’t play”
Tudor, who has been out of work since being sacked by Juventus in October 2025 and has previously managed clubs in Italy, France, Turkey, Croatia and Greece, will make his first managerial debut in England.
His priority will be to ease Tottenham Hotspur’s relegation fears, with Thomas Frank’s 2-1 loss to Newcastle United on Tuesday leaving them five points above the bottom three.
Tudor played 55 times for the Croatian national team during his career and played more than 150 games for Italian giants Juventus, earning a reputation as a “no-nonsense defender”. As a head coach, Tudor has a non-negotiable status.
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“He asked the players to run more. In a previous interview, he said ‘If you don’t run, you won’t play the game,'” said L’Equipe reporter Pierre-Etienne Minonzio.
“A season in Marseille it was the same way – 3-5-2 – and it was great to watch.
“It won’t be easy because Marseille’s best player is Dimitri Payet, a very talented player but not known for his runs and he didn’t play.
“It’s a joke in L’Equipe – if Igor Tudor had Lionel Messi in his team, Messi wouldn’t be playing!”
Tudor’s only season in France saw Marseille finish third behind PSG and Lens, although they have more points than the club had when they finished second last season.
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“He’s doing well in Ligue 1. What I like is that he doesn’t try to be liked. He’s very direct, speaks his mind and doesn’t try to be attractive. There’s no temptation,” Minonzio said.
“It’s the same with the players. He keeps his distance, he’s obsessed with intensifying training with a lot of running so they’re physically fit for the game.”
Why didn’t Tudor succeed at Juventus?
Tudor led Juventus to consecutive Serie A titles in the 2001-02 and 2002-03 seasons, and started in the 2003 Champions League final, but his team lost to AC Milan.
Tudor began his managerial career at former club Haiduk Split and had spells at Galatasaray, Udinese, Marseille and Lazio before taking over from Thiago Motta at former club Juventus in March 2025.
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Initially appointed as interim manager, Tudor was offered the full-time role after guiding Juventus to fourth place in Serie A and Champions League qualifying.
“Tudor is a proactive coach and that’s what he wants from the club,” said Italian football journalist Daniel Verri.
“There’s a lot of pressing. When he has the ball, he goes vertically. The defenders are big and strong. He likes to play out wide. But the main characteristic is aggression.
“Juventus brought him in because he was a former player and they wanted Juventus DNA, someone the fans could identify with because of his past, being aggressive, vertical and fighting hard.”
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However, according to Verri, the arrival of Damien Comolli as Juventus general manager that summer led to heightened tensions.
Tudor were sacked after just seven months after eight games without a win, which left the Old Lady eighth in Serie A and 25th in the Champions League stage.
He has 8 wins in 17 league games, a winning rate of 47.1%.
“Comolli and Tudor never really got along. Tudor wanted to have more say in the transfer market and he wanted Kolo Mouani to stay, but that didn’t happen,” Verri said.
“He kept changing the starting 11, which created uncertainty. Tensions increased. Tudor criticized Juventus’ approach to the market in press conferences and publicly criticized players after the Lazio defeat before being sacked.”
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“After a relatively good start, he lost control of the team and the team stopped performing. The fans were obviously unhappy and they were used to winning.”
“Juventus never really thought they could take the next step with Tudor.”
Why did Tottenham make this appointment?
Analysis by BBC Sport senior football reporter Sami Mokbel
First, they want an interim head coach until the end of the season. This immediately narrows it down.
Among them, Tottenham’s senior management is looking for people with top management experience and playing offensive football.
After reviewing their options, it is understood Spurs believe Tudor fits the bill for a few key reasons.
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He has experience working at some of Europe’s top clubs and managing big-name players.
Tudor are known for their aggressive football with attacking intent. This factor is particularly important for Spurs after criticism of their style under Frank.
Tottenham Hotspur are also said to appreciate his work improving the squad in the short term.
For example, in his first two months after joining, his Lazio team went unbeaten in the league.
At Juventus, he lost just one of his first nine games. In his first full season, he went unbeaten in his first eight games. However, his downfall came quickly after losing three away games in one week to Real Madrid, Lazio and Como.
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Tudor will serve as interim manager while it is believed they will pursue a different long-term option in the summer.
However, like Manchester United’s Michael Carrick, if he can start quickly and maintain his good form for the remainder of the season, it could well be an interesting puzzle.
Tudor Administrative Records
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Hajduk Split (2013-2015): Coached 70 games, averaged 1.63 points per game (PPG), won the 2012-13 Croatian Cup
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PAOK (2015-2016): 1.51 points per game in 45 games
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Kara Bux Sports (2016-2017): Averaged 1.29 points per game in 21 games
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Galatasaray (2017): 1.79 points per game in 34 games
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Udinese (2018): Averaged 1.75 points per game in four games
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Udinese (second time, 2019): Averaged 1.33 points per game in 21 games
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Hajduk Split (second time, 2020): 1.56 points per game in 18 games
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Verona, Greece (2021-2022): 1.47 points per game in 36 games
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Marseille (2022-2023): 1.83 points per game in 48 games
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Lazio (2024): 1.91 points per game in 11 games
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Juventus (2025): 1.58 points per game in 24 games