Tottenham fans will love what left Dimitri Payet ‘shocked’ by new interim boss Igor Tudor
Tottenham have appointed Croatian manager Igor Tudor on an interim deal until the end of the season.
The Lilywhites announced the 47-year-old’s arrival on Saturday, which comes just days after the sacking of Thomas Frank.
The Dane was dismissed on Wednesday following a 2-1 defeat at home to Newcastle United, which left his team just five points off the relegation zone.
Tudor is available following his own dismissal at Juventus, where he took charge for just 24 games before he was sacked in October.
Tottenham are thought to be looking elsewhere for a permanent appointment in the summer, with Mauricio Pochettino set to feature prominently among their favoured options.
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Dimitri Payet was shocked by Igor Tudor at Marseille
Tudor was appointed by Marseille in 2022 following the exit of Argentine manager Jorge Sampaoli.
The Ligue 1 giants had finished second, but were without a manager after the 65-year-old left, having been unsatisfied with the transfer plans.
Tudor arrived after leaving Serie A side Hellas Verona in the summer, and instantly attempted to shake things up at Stade Velodrome.
| Igor Tudor | Marseille |
| Wins | 27 |
| Draws | 7 |
| Losses | 14 |
| Scored | 88 |
| Conceded | 58 |
Introducing a high-pressing, high-line and aggressive system, the 47-year-old won eight of his first 10 Ligue 1 games in charge.
Despite a disappointing exit from the Champions League, ironically at the hands of Tottenham, Marseille responded by winning eight straight games.
Tudor’s side would ultimately finish third in Ligue 1, securing qualification to the Champions League. Internal issues emerged at Marseille once again, however, and the Croatian decided to leave.
Speaking about Tudor in the build-up to his exit in 2023, Payet, who rarely featured under the manager and left in the same summer, told France Football: “We all got acquainted with someone who was coarse and blunt. In his manners and words, he was authoritative. We were all a bit shocked.”
“With a little hindsight, he was excessively harsh at first to mark his territory and implement some measures. Then, it was a bit better,“ he added.
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Tottenham fans have been crying out for Tudor’s style
While Frank, understandably, has shouldered most of the blame for Tottenham’s appalling season, the players are not innocent.
Several stars have been on the receiving end of bashings from the fans in recent months, after consistent mistakes and lazy errors.
Tudor will not have a huge squad available in the early weeks of his tenure, but Tottenham fans can expect the hairdryer treatment to be brought out where necessary.
With a significant improvement in performance needed over the next few weeks, the Croatian would appear to have the right style to make an impact.
For more on Tudor’s appointment at Spurs, read what the experts are saying on Tottenham News.