44 days. That’s all Igor Tudor lasted as Tottenham Hotspur interim manager and results were so bad he was fortunate to get that long in the job. Indeed, many supporters would have fired Tudor after the 3-1 home defeat to Crystal Palace. Or the 5-2 humiliation at the hands of Atletico Madrid in the Champions League.
As it was, Tudor was relieved of his duties on Sunday with Tottenham’s 3-0 home humbling against Nottingham Forest being his final game in charge. Spurs are just one point above the relegation zone in the Premier League table with the North London outfit staring next season in the Championship straight in the face.
Roberto De Zerbi is reportedly the frontrunner to take over at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The Italian has been out of work since leaving Marseille last month, making him an attractive option to Spurs. De Zerbi enjoyed a degree of success as Brighton boss and is widely revered as one of the sharpest tacticians working at the elite level of the sport.
Should De Zerbi accept the job, he will have a lot on his plate. Spurs are in their current position, fighting relegation from the Premier League, because they deserve to be. Injuries have been a factor in their struggles, but Tottenham is legitimately one of the worst teams in the English top division at this moment in time.
Tottenham is ranked a lowly 14th for Big Chances (as defined by Opta) in the Premier League this season. With Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison sidelined through injury for much of the 2025/26 campaign, Spurs have lacked the personnel to create opportunities from midfield and into the final third.
Tudor chopped and changed from game-to-game. He also shifted formation several times, indicating an uncertainty over the qualities and traits of the players he inherited from Thomas Frank. The former Juventus and Marseille manager never truly got to grips with the North London side he was hired to lead.
De Zerbi, or whoever Tottenham appoints as its new manager, must settle on a consistent lineup to build chemistry within its team. Spurs require midfielders who can progress the ball more effectively from deep. They need wide players who can affect matches with their dribbling and goal threat in the attacking third.
After flaming out at his last two clubs, De Zerbi’s appointment would be a gamble, but Tottenham needs one last roll of the dice to give itself a chance of staying in the Premier League for next season. At least the Italian has the benefit of seeing what didn’t work for his predecessor.