Spurs boss avoids future talk after another damaging defeat
Igor Tudor’s position at Tottenham has come under even greater scrutiny after he became the first head coach in the club’s history to lose his first four matches in charge. The latest setback came in a painful 5-2 defeat to Atletico Madrid in the first leg of the Champions League last 16, a result that deepened the crisis around the team and left serious questions hanging over the manager.
After the match, Tudor was asked directly whether he deserved to remain in charge, but he refused to answer. His brief “no comment” only added to the tension surrounding a spell that has quickly turned toxic. Tottenham have now lost six games in a row for the first time in their 143-year history, and the sense around the club is that the situation is slipping further out of control rather than improving.
Kinsky decision backfires and sparks fresh criticism
Much of the criticism after the defeat focused on Tudor’s call to leave out the more experienced Guglielmo Vicario and hand 22-year-old Antonin Kinsky his first Champions League start. The gamble failed badly, with the young goalkeeper making mistakes that contributed to two of Atletico’s first three goals.
Tudor then reversed the decision after only 17 minutes, taking Kinsky off in a move that many saw as harsh and deeply damaging for the player. The goalkeeper looked devastated as he left the pitch, while several teammates reportedly went over to console him. Tudor later said the substitution was necessary both to protect the player and to protect the team, adding that he had spoken with Kinsky afterwards and insisted it was not about blaming one individual.
Even so, the episode has created another layer of concern. Reports from Madrid suggested some players were unhappy with how the situation was handled, and footage from the game also appeared to fuel debate over whether Cristian Romero had urged the staff to make the change earlier.
Supporters demand action as pressure grows before Liverpool test
The fallout from the defeat did not stop at the dressing room. Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust issued a strong statement calling for emergency action, describing the display and result as a disgrace and blaming the wider leadership of the club for the current decline. The group said fans feel the club is drifting dangerously and argued that supporters deserve far better than what they are witnessing.
The timing only increases the pressure on Tudor. Tottenham now face Liverpool at Anfield before the return leg against Atletico, which already looks close to beyond saving. Instead of seeing signs of a managerial bounce, the team appears to be moving in the opposite direction, and doubts around Tudor’s future are only getting louder.
