4 hours ago
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0.2ppg in Prem
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Tottenham have parted ways with head coach Igor Tudor after just seven matches in charge as the north London club prepare to appoint their third head coach this season. Tudor was brought in as an interim replacement for Thomas Frank, who was sacked in February after a dismal run of form that left Spurs languishing near the drop.
However, the situation has grown desperate under the Croatian during his first stint in charge of an English club and his departure was made official on Sunday during the international break. The 47-year-old leaves Spurs just one point above 18th-placed West Ham with seven games remaining.
"We can confirm that it has been mutually agreed for Head Coach Igor Tudor to leave the Club with immediate effect," a club statement read. "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 [the passing of his father] and send our support to him and his family at this difficult time."
Tudor, who failed to win a single league game during his short stint in charge, finished his reign with a 0.2 points per game average in the league. Only Ange Postecoglou at Nottingham Forest had a worse record out of the 26 managers that have been at the helm of a Premier League club this season. Spurs confirmed that an announcement regarding the new head coach "will be provided in due course". But who will take the reigns with the threat of relegation looming large? Transfermarkt looks at five potential candidates.
Roberto De Zerbi
De Zerbi is thought to be the club's preferred choice to take charge next season, but the Italian is not thought to be keen on taking charge until season has concluded following his dismissal from Marseille.
That throws a spanner in the works for sporting director Johan Lange and chief executive Vinai Venkatesham, who would then need to find a temporary replacement for Tudor to steer them away from the relegation zone. De Zerbi was previously Brighton manager between 2023 and 2024, and has the advantage of prior Premier League experience.
Sean Dyche
When he was quizzed about rumours linking him with the Spurs post, Dyche said on talkSPORT: “It’s brilliant, honestly!" Video clips surfaced online of Dyche out in London where he said: “I was in a pub just up the way near my place I’ve got down here and this guy goes, ‘Oh, you’re meant to be in talks with Spurs tonight.’ “I went, ‘Well, I’m sat next to you having a pint of Guinness, so it’s unlikely'."
This jovial character away from the pitch makes him popular with football fans, but Dyche transforms into a no-nonsense, disciplinarian when he steps into the dugout. The 54-year-old has battled against relegation with Everton and Burnley, succeeding on two occasions, and may have felt hard done by with his departure from Forest last month. Keeping Spurs up and sending his former club down, therefore, would represent the perfect tonic for revenge.
Adi Hütter
Will Spurs take another gamble and appoint a manager with no Premier League experience? Recent reports suggest Hütter is top of the list in terms of a short-term appointment until the end of the campaign.
The Austrian tactician has significant European experience, making his name with Red Bull Salzburg and Young Boys before moving to the Bundesliga to take over at Eintracht Frankfurt and later Borussia Monchengladbach. But this situation may require some finesse from a coach with experience of English football and it represents a massive risk at a time Spurs can't really afford one.
Marco Silva
A Premier League journeyman with Everton, Watford, Hull City and now Fulham, Silva is known for squeezing the best out of his players with limited resources. The obvious drawback to appointing Silva is that he has presided over one relegation from the top flight in his career when he resigned as Hull City boss in 2016/17.
But it is fair to say he has grown as a manager since then and stamped his authority on the Fulham squad, pulling off some impressive results. With his contract up in the summer, the Portuguese would represent a cheaper option if Spurs decide to pull the trigger.
Ryan Mason
Mason was thrown in at the deep end back in the 2020/21 campaign when Jose Mourinho was sacked by Spurs just a week before the EFL Cup final. They went on to lose that game, but Mason managed to steer the team through turbulent times and secured a seventh-placed finish.
He understands the club and the fans better than most, and that could give him a chance to take the job on a temporary basis. Whether his emotional attachment will be enough to spark some life into this underperforming team, however, remains to be seen. His recent stint with West Brom also didn't go to plan.
