The Croatian coach has lost all three of his matches since taking charge of Tottenham Hotspur, and his difficult start mirrors the troubled spell he previously experienced in France between 2022 and 2023. Despite guiding Olympique de Marseille to a third-place finish in Ligue 1, the 47-year-old Igor Tudor left the club just a year after arriving, citing exhaustion as the main reason.
His time at the Velodrome was marked by internal conflict and dressing-room tension, and in many ways the ending seemed inevitable. The Marseille squad were believed to have been particularly close to former manager Jorge Sampaoli, who stepped down after disagreements with the club’s transfer strategy.
When Tudor arrived in France, early signs suggested the players were not happy with his appointment, and tensions between the coach and squad reportedly surfaced during a demanding pre-season.
What followed was a period of turmoil. Brazilian midfielder Gerson reportedly clashed with Tudor in a heated argument and was removed from training. French full-back Jordan Amavi was also dropped from the first-team squad after another disagreement on the same day. Turkish winger Cengiz Ünder reportedly disagreed with the coach as well, although he was not expelled from training.
Former Arsenal FC defender Nuno Tavares was also sent away from a training session, while Senegal striker Bamba Dieng was reportedly excluded too, though the reasons behind that decision were never fully explained.
Another former Arsenal player, Matteo Guendouzi, also had a confrontation with Tudor. Reports suggested the midfielder was involved in a heated exchange with the manager during a 2–0 pre-season defeat to AC Milan. The argument allegedly led to Guendouzi leaving the pitch, heading straight for the dressing room to shower, packing his belongings and failing to return for the second half.
Speaking about his strict approach to discipline, Tudor once explained: “In my football, there is one key rule—you have to run. If I see a player not putting in the effort during training, I will warn him once, then twice. If it happens a third time, I step in.”
Discussing one particular case—later revealed to be Tavares—Tudor said the player had not been making the “necessary effort,” which led to his exclusion from training. The defender now plays for SS Lazio.
Tudor’s turbulent period at Marseille also included a bizarre moment when former Italian international Mauro Camoranesi joined his staff as assistant coach. Tudor introduced him to the squad as his “right-hand man,” but Camoranesi left the role after just a week.
After Tudor later moved to Lazio—where he lasted only three months—Marseille president Pablo Longoria spoke about the immense pressure the coach had faced. Longoria said he would not wish Tudor’s experience on anyone, claiming the manager was caught in a hostile environment where criticism came from both inside and outside the club.
According to Longoria, some groups pushed for Sampaoli’s return while others wanted more power for the players. There were even attempts to mobilize fan groups against Tudor, creating an atmosphere where pre-season felt as intense as a decisive late-season match.
Following Tottenham’s recent defeat to Crystal Palace, Tudor suggested he could soon make tough decisions about players who do not quickly adapt to his methods—echoing the strict approach he took in France.
“I might sound strange saying this,” Tudor admitted after the game, “but I believe more now than before. I saw something. I just need to choose the right players. The boat is moving in the direction it needs to go—those who are in it can stay, but those who aren’t can leave.”
Things will not get any easier for Spurs in the coming days. They must first travel to Spain to face Atlético Madrid in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League round-of-16 tie, before returning to league action with a difficult away trip to Liverpool FC.
