Igor Tudor is Tottenham Hotspur’s new interim manager, the club confirmed on Sunday, February 15, 2026. The appointment comes after the dismissal of Thomas Frank following a run of poor form, leaving Spurs just five points above the Premier League relegation zone.
The 47-year-old Croatian coach joins Tottenham after a brief spell with Juventus, where he was relieved of his duties in October 2025. He initially guided Juventus to a fourth-place finish after taking over in March 2025, securing Champions League qualification, but a subsequent eight-game winless run led to his departure. Tudor has never remained at a club for more than two years, with his longest managerial stint being a little over a year with Hajduk Split.
Throughout his managerial career, Tudor has often been brought in to address immediate crises. He first gained recognition for rescuing Udinese from relegation in 2018, returning to the club less than a year later to stabilize their position. Similar interventions followed at Verona and Lazio, consistently arriving at clubs facing precarious situations.
At Lazio, Tudor secured European qualification with five wins and three draws in nine games. His approach, described as direct and physically demanding, often involves a back three and a high press. This style, honed under the influence of Gian Piero Gasperini, emphasizes rapid transitions and intense pressing, a characteristic he implemented at Verona as early as 2021-22, shifting from zonal marking to a man-to-man approach.
Tudor’s time at Juventus, even as initially successful in securing Champions League football, ended with a disagreement over transfer policy. He reportedly felt unsupported in the transfer market, lamenting the greater influence held by opposing managers, such as Cesc Fàbregas of Como, in player recruitment. Juventus failed to score in Tudor’s final four matches in charge, their longest scoring drought in almost 25 years.
A player for Juventus from 1998 to 2007, Tudor is familiar with the expectations of a high-profile club. He also served as an assistant coach to Andrea Pirlo at Juventus in 2020-21. His playing career included 55 appearances for the Croatia national team and a total of 110 appearances for Juventus.
Tottenham will hope Tudor can have a similar impact to his previous rescue missions, with Randal Kolo Muani, currently on loan from Paris Saint-Germain, potentially benefiting from the new manager’s arrival. Kolo Muani scored five goals in 11 appearances under Tudor at Juventus, a relationship the manager reportedly valued.
Tudor is expected to be in place for training when Tottenham’s players return on Monday, preparing for their next match against Arsenal on February 22nd. The club has not announced any plans beyond Tudor’s interim role, which is set to last until the end of the 2025-26 season.
