New Delhi, Feb 13 (IANS) Igor Tudor has reached an agreement to take charge of English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur on an interim basis until the end of the season, stepping into the role following Thomas Frank’s dismissal earlier this week.

Spurs acted after a difficult run of form left them hovering just five points above the relegation zone, prompting the club to seek short-term stability as they attempt to steer clear of a late-season slide.

Tudor, 47, returns to management after leaving Juventus in October 2025. His tenure in Turin ended after an eight-match winless sequence that saw the Italian giants slip to eighth place in Serie A.

The Croatian has built a broad résumé across Europe, with spells at Lazio, Marseille, Galatasaray, and Udinese. At Lazio, he replaced Maurizio Sarri in March 2024 after a poor run had left the Rome club ninth in the table. Tudor guided them to five wins in nine matches, suffering just one defeat, to secure a seventh-place finish and qualification for the UEFA Europa League. Despite the upturn, he opted to step down at the end of that campaign.

His only managerial silverware came with hometown side Hajduk Split, whom he led to Croatian Cup glory in 2013.

As a player, Tudor enjoyed considerable success during a nine-year stay at Juventus, lifting two league titles and finishing as a runner-up in the 2003 UEFA Champions League Final. Internationally, he was part of the Croatia national football team squad that reached the semi-finals of the 1998 FIFA World Cup, ultimately securing a third-place finish.

Tottenham had also explored alternative short-term options, including former Borussia Dortmund coach Edin Terzic and ex-RB Leipzig boss Marco Rose.

While Tudor’s appointment is temporary, he could yet enter the frame for the permanent role should he make a strong impression. Former Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino remains a long-term candidate, with his contract as head coach of the United States men’s national soccer team set to run through this summer’s World Cup.

Another name under consideration is Roberto De Zerbi, who parted ways with Marseille by mutual consent earlier this week.

–IANS

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