Tottenham Hotspur have confirmed that Igor Tudor has left the club by mutual agreement after just 44 days in charge, following a difficult spell that has left them battling relegation.
The former Juventus manager had no prior experience in the Premier League but was appointed on an interim basis in February, replacing Thomas Frank, who had been dismissed after a poor run of results.
Unfortunately, results did not improve under Tudor, and performances also dipped, with the team collecting just one point from five Premier League matches, in a 1-1 draw with Liverpool earlier in the month.
Their struggles were also evident in Europe, where Spurs suffered a heavy 5-2 defeat to Atletico Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League Round of 16 clash.
That game was marked by a disastrous 17-minute spell from goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky, who started ahead of Guglielmo Vicario. Although Tottenham won the second leg 3-2, they were eliminated 7-5 on aggregate.
Tudor’s final match in charge ended in a dismal 3-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest last Sunday.
Shortly after, he received the news of his father’s passing, and while the club initially allowed him time to grieve, both parties ultimately agreed to part ways.
The 47-year-old departs with the North London club sitting 17th on the table, just one point above the relegation zone, with seven games remaining in the season.
Tudor becomes the second manager to last fewer than 50 days at a Premier League club this season, after Ange Postecoglou, who spent just 40 days at Nottingham Forest before his dismissal earlier in the campaign.
“We can confirm that it has been mutually agreed for head coach Igor Tudor to leave the club with immediate effect”, Tottenham Hotspur said in a statement in quotes revealed by ESPN.
“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.”
Assistant coach Bruno Saltor is expected to oversee training in the coming days, while the club looks to appoint a new manager before their next league fixture against Sunderland on April 12.
Several candidates have been linked with a short-term role to steer the club away from relegation, including Sean Dyche, Tim Sherwood and Harry Redknapp.
The likes of Roberto De Zerbi, Mauricio Pochettino, Andoni Iraola and Oliver Glasner have also been mentioned for a permanent role, although the club has yet to decide whether to make a permanent appointment or opt for another interim solution.
