Tottenham Hotspur have reached a verbal agreement with former Juventus manager Igor Tudor to take over as interim head coach until the end of the season, turning to the hard-edged Croatian in a bid to arrest a dire run of form and avoid a relegation fight in the Premier League.

The 47-year-old ex-Croatia international defender, who has previously managed Juventus, Marseille and Lazio, will succeed Thomas Frank, who was dismissed on Wednesday following Spurs’ 2–1 home defeat to Newcastle United, their latest setback in a season that has spiraled alarmingly. Tottenham sit 16th in the table, five points above the drop zone, with just two wins in their last 17 league matches.

According to Sky Sports and multiple British outlets, Tudor has agreed a short-term deal running until June 2026, with no automatic option to extend, as the club plans a broader search for a permanent manager in the summer. He is expected to take training early next week, ahead of a high-stakes north London derby against league leaders Arsenal at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium next Sunday.

Frank out, Tudor in: Spurs gamble on a firefighter

Frank’s dismissal came less than 24 hours after the loss to Newcastle, a result that intensified concern at board level over the trajectory of the season. Hired last year to bring stability and a clear identity, the former Brentford boss struggled to translate his methods to a bigger, more impatient club, with injuries, defensive lapses and blunt attacking displays compounding the slide.

Club executives Vinai Venkatesham, the new chief executive, and sporting director Johan Lange led the process to appoint an interim successor — their first major football decision since long-serving chairman Daniel Levy and co-sporting director Fabio Paratici departed, leaving Spurs without two of their most influential power brokers. After considering several candidates for a temporary role, including former Borussia Dortmund coaches Edin Terzic and Marco Rose, Tottenham moved decisively for Tudor on Thursday night.

Sources close to the talks stressed that the agreement with Tudor is strictly interim. The club intends to appoint a long-term head coach in the summer, with a number of high-profile names expected to enter the frame after this year’s World Cup, including a possible return for former Spurs manager and current U.S. men’s national team coach Mauricio Pochettino.

Who is Igor Tudor? Ex-Juventus defender with a reputation for quick impact

Tudor enjoyed a distinguished playing career as a rugged central defender at Juventus, where he made over 100 appearances and won multiple Serie A titles and domestic cups. As a coach, he has built a reputation as an intense, tactically flexible manager willing to make bold structural changes to jolt underperforming teams.

His most high-profile recent spell came at Juventus, where he took over from Thiago Motta and guided the club to a fourth-place finish in Serie A and Champions League qualification before being dismissed in October after a poor early-season run. Prior to that, he had impressed at Olympique de Marseille with a high-energy, aggressive style that improved transitions and pressing, though he left at the end of the 2022–23 season citing fatigue and tensions around the club.

Analysts who have studied his teams describe Tudor as primarily defensive in structure but aggressive in mentality: he favors compact blocks, intense pressing triggers and a willingness to tweak formations game-to-game to exploit opponents’ weaknesses. A Total Football Analysis profile cited by Spurs blogs characterized him as “unafraid to implement bold tactical changes, often rejuvenating teams requiring new energy” and praised his ability to “improve balance between defense and offense” while motivating players.​

Those traits — defensive organization, immediate impact and emotional edge — align with Tottenham’s urgent needs. A once free-flowing attack has become stagnant, and the team has struggled to control matches or protect leads, leaving them exposed in transition and vulnerable at set pieces.

Relegation fears sharpen ahead of north London derby

Spurs’ current predicament is stark. With 12 league matches remaining, they have amassed just two wins in 17 and sit five points clear of the relegation zone, having slipped into a congested bottom half where a short bad run can prove fatal. If West Ham defeat Bournemouth this weekend, the gap could shrink to two points before Tottenham host Arsenal, raising the stakes even further.

Tudor’s immediate task will be to steady the defense and instill a structure that makes Spurs harder to beat. Internally, officials have suggested that survival is the primary objective, with informal benchmarks of roughly 11–12 points from the final 12 matches viewed as a successful return. Any push beyond safety — toward mid-table respectability or an unlikely European place — would be considered a bonus.

The north London derby offers both a brutal introduction and an opportunity. Arsenal arrive as league leaders and title contenders, eager to compound Spurs’ misery. A spirited performance, even in defeat, could buy Tudor goodwill among a fan base bruised by months of disappointment; a win or draw, particularly at home, would be a transformational early result.

No guarantee beyond June — but a chance to stake a claim

Reports indicate Tudor’s agreement does not include a built-in option for a permanent role, reflecting Spurs’ desire to conduct a full-scale managerial search this summer. However, club insiders have hinted that a strong run of results — especially an escape from the relegation scrap and a recognizable tactical identity — could put the Croatian in the conversation for the long-term job.

Journalist David Ornstein and others have reported that while Tudor is viewed as a short-term stabilizer, he is not entirely discounted as a future candidate. Much will depend on how players respond to his methods, how he navigates the pressures of the Premier League and whether he can coax improved performances from a squad that has underachieved relative to its wage bill and expectations.

New hierarchy under pressure after Levy exit

For Venkatesham and Lange, Tudor’s appointment is a first major test. With Daniel Levy’s decades-long tenure as executive chairman over and Fabio Paratici also gone, Spurs have lost some of the football-world connections that previously shaped their hiring and recruitment strategies. The new structure is under scrutiny from supporters and pundits already frustrated by years of managerial churn since Mauricio Pochettino’s departure in 2019.​

Since Pochettino’s Champions League final run, Tottenham have cycled through multiple head coaches — including Jose Mourinho, Nuno Espírito Santo, Antonio Conte, Ange Postecoglou and now Thomas Frank — with no lasting stability or silverware. The choice of Tudor, a less glamorous but experienced firefighter, suggests a pragmatic reset focused on survival before any grander rebuild.

Tactics, squad and dressing room dynamics

Tudor inherits a squad lacking confidence and consistency. Tottenham’s attack has sputtered this season despite talent in forward positions, while defensive lapses and midfield imbalance have been recurring complaints among fans and analysts.

At previous clubs, Tudor has favored back-three systems (3-4-2-1 or 3-5-2) that emphasize wide overloads, aggressive wing-back play and compact central zones. Such setups could appeal at Spurs, who possess defenders and full-backs capable of adapting, but they may require rapid adjustments from players accustomed to different shapes under Frank and his predecessors.​

His reputation as a demanding trainer and straight-talking motivator may jolt some underperformers, but man-management will be critical in a dressing room that has experienced repeated regime changes and mixed messages.

Fans’ mixed reaction: Cautious hope, lingering skepticism

Early reaction from Spurs supporters has been mixed. Some fans, weary of high-profile appointments that fizzled, welcome Tudor’s reputation for immediate impact and defensive tightening. Others worry that another short-term solution postpones the structural overhaul they believe the club needs, particularly in recruitment and youth integration.

Spurs fan sites and podcasts have noted that if Tudor can make the team “hard to beat,” build a coherent defensive block and rediscover basic competitiveness, he will earn goodwill quickly. In a season where expectations have shrunk from top-four ambitions to simple survival, the bar for satisfaction has been reset.

Looking ahead: Survival first, then the summer reset

For now, Tottenham’s horizon is short. Tudor will fly back to Croatia to finalize arrangements, then return to London to take charge of training early next week. His first days will involve assessing fitness, clarifying roles and installing a simplified game plan ahead of Arsenal’s visit.​

Beyond that, the club’s leadership will continue work on a long-term strategy. The summer promises a crowded managerial market after the World Cup, with Spurs expected to sound out multiple candidates, including Pochettino and several leading European coaches. Recruitment plans, budget allocations and youth pathways will all factor into those discussions.

In the meantime, Tottenham have made their move: a seasoned, combative interim manager with a track record of short-term stabilization and bold tactical tweaks. Whether Igor Tudor can deliver the calm and points Spurs crave — and perhaps write a new chapter in his own career in north London — will become clear in the fraught weeks ahead.