Tottenham are bang in trouble. The North London Derby will always have its prized place, but for the first time in my lifetime, it is no longer the number one priority. Tottenham needs to stay up, and points desperately have to be found.
Igor Tudor has established a strong reputation as a manager who excels in short-term, crisis-intervention roles, often stepping in mid-season to stabilise struggling teams and prevent relegation, or to secure objectives such as European qualification.
Multiple sources describe him as an “emergency leader,” “ferryman,” or “saviour” in such scenarios. Notably, reports indicate that in the seven instances where he has taken over clubs mid-season, none of those teams has been relegated under his watch (and this track record is highlighted as a key reason for his February 2026 appointment as Spurs’ interim head coach to address their relegation threat).
Udinese (Serie A): He rescued them from relegation in the 2017-18 season (appointed late April 2018, kept them safe). He returned in March 2019 when they were one point above the drop zone and again guided them to safety (ending in a solid mid-table position in one instance, joint-highest in recent years).
Hellas Verona (Serie A, 2021-22): Took over in September 2021 with relegation concerns and steered them to safety (finishing 9th in some accounts of his impact).
Other mid-season stints, such as Galatasaray leading to European qualification, Lazio in March 2024 securing 7th place and Europa League qualification, and Juventus in March 2025 ensuring Champions League football, focused more on upward momentum or qualification rather than pure survival, but they align with his pattern of positive short-term impact.
Make no mistake, Tudor has not always stayed long-term (rarely completing full seasons except notably at Marseille in 2022-23, where he finished 3rd in Ligue 1), and some tenures ended poorly (e.g., a winless run at Juventus in 2025 leading to dismissal). However, when parachuted in during precarious situations, particularly relegation battles. His success rate in keeping clubs up is effectively 100% based on available records from those specific rescue jobs.
All in all, not a shabby appointment, given the circumstances.
