Four Tottenham Players Igor Tudor Already Knew Before Spurs 2026

Key Points

• Igor Tudor, the 47-year-old Croatian coach, has been appointed as Tottenham Hotspur’s interim head coach until the end of the 2025/26 season, replacing Thomas Frank after just seven months in charge.
• Tudor steps in amid Tottenham’s relegation battle, with the team sitting five points above the drop zone following two wins in 17 Premier League games and an eight-game winless run.
• He will find familiar faces in the squad: Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski from his time as assistant to Andrea Pirlo at Juventus in 2020/21; Radu Dragusin, who trained with Juventus’ first team that season; and possibly captain Cristian Romero during a brief overlap before Romero’s loan moves.
• Both Bentancur and Kulusevski are currently injured (hamstring and knee, respectively), along with 11 other players, exacerbating Spurs’ woes.
• Tudor’s first match is the north London derby against Arsenal on 22 February 2026 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
• He has overhauled the coaching staff, bringing in Ivan Javorcic as assistant coach and Riccardo Ragnacci, while goalkeeping coach Fabian Otte, set-piece coach Andreas Georgson, and others remain; departures include Justin Cochrane, Chris Haslam, Joe Newton, and John Heitinga.
• Spurs’ official statement: “Igor joins us with a clear focus: to improve performances, deliver results and move us up the Premier League table. His mandate is straightforward – bring organisation, intensity and competitive edge to the squad at a decisive stage of the campaign.”​
• Talking Tottenham podcast by Alasdair Gold and Ryan Taylor of football.london discusses Tudor’s arrival, coaching staff changes, and the upcoming derby.​
• Thomas Frank’s sacking followed loss of dressing room confidence, fan frustration, poor results despite injury excuses, with Frank stating pre-sacking: “1000 percent sure” he was the right man and urging unity.​
• Tudor’s past roles include firefighting jobs at Juventus (interim to permanent, Champions League qualification), Lazio (Europa League spot), Udinese, Marseille, Hellas Verona, and Hajduk Split.

Tottenham Hotspur FC, (North London News) February 18, 2026 – Igor Tudor has taken the helm at Tottenham Hotspur as interim head coach, immediately recognising four familiar players from his previous coaching stints amid the club’s desperate fight against relegation.

Tudor, a 47-year-old former Juventus defender, was appointed on an interim basis until June 2026, subject to work permit, following the sacking of Thomas Frank last week. The Croatian’s arrival comes at a pivotal moment, with Spurs five points clear of the relegation zone after a dismal run of just two league wins in 17 matches under the Dane. As reported in the football.london article

“The four Tottenham players Igor Tudor had already worked with before arriving at the club”,

Tudor encountered several known faces upon stepping into the north London club, a potential boost for an injury-hit squad low on confidence.

Who Is Igor Tudor and Why Was He Hired by Tottenham?

Igor Tudor brings a reputation as a firefighting specialist, having steadied ships at multiple clubs in recent years. After retiring as a player – where he won back-to-back Serie A titles with Juventus in 2001-03 and reached the 2003 Champions League final – Tudor began coaching Hajduk Split’s youth teams before leading the senior side and serving as Croatia assistant.

His managerial career includes stints at Udinese (two spells), Hellas Verona (ninth in Serie A 2021/22), Marseille, Lazio (seventh place, Europa League qualification in 2023/24 despite owner disputes), and Juventus, where he turned interim role in March 2025 into permanent, securing fourth place and Champions League football ahead of Roma. As detailed by Sky Sports in

“Igor Tudor: Who is Tottenham’s interim head coach?”,

he joins for a “similar firefighting job” to those past rescues.

Tottenham’s need arose from Thomas Frank’s abrupt exit after seven months, marked by an eight-game Premier League winless streak and dressing room unrest. Frank had cited 11 injuries – including Wilson Odobert’s knee issue – but contradicted himself by avoiding short-term signings, as noted in football.london’s

“Thomas Frank sacked – When, why and how it happened”.

Pre-sacking, Frank declared to reporters:

“I believe it’s fair to say that several before me… have lost their jobs. You need to maintain composure, keep fighting, and ensure we stick together—board, leaders, players, staff, and fans.”

Which Four Tottenham Players Did Igor Tudor Previously Work With?

Tudor’s prior connections offer continuity in a disrupted squad. The clearest links stem from his 2020/21 season as assistant head coach to Andrea Pirlo at Juventus, as confirmed across sources including Reuters:

“he became acquainted [with] Dejan Kulusevski [and] Rodrigo Bentancur.”

Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski featured prominently under Pirlo-Tudor, but both are sidelined – Bentancur with a hamstring injury, Kulusevski with knee problems.

Radu Dragusin, Tottenham’s Romanian centre-back, trained with Juventus’ first team and made four senior appearances that season (one Champions League, one Serie A, two Coppa Italia), overlapping with Tudor’s tenure before Dragusin’s loans to Sampdoria et al., culminating in his £21.5m Spurs move in 2024.

A possible fourth is captain Cristian Romero, currently suspended. The Argentine signed for Genoa before Genoa loaned him back to Juventus? Wait, sources suggest brief contact: Romero signed pre-Tudor’s August 2020 staff arrival, but departed on Atalanta loan by September 5, 2020, implying minimal overlap before his path to Spurs in 2022. Football.london notes:

“There may have also been a fourth Tottenham player who might have worked briefly with Tudor and that’s the currently suspended captain Cristian Romero.”​

What Changes Has Igor Tudor Made to Tottenham’s Coaching Staff?

Tudor wasted no time reshaping the backroom team. As per Alasdair Gold of football.london in “Igor Tudor finalises Tottenham coaching staff”, four from Frank’s era exited: Justin Cochrane (offensive coordinator), Chris Haslam, analyst Joe Newton, and John Heitinga (after 33 days).

Tudor brought Ivan Javorcic (assistant coach, ex-Brescia, Venezia, helped Lazio to Europa League) and Riccardo Ragnacci (previously at Verona, Lecce, Empoli, rejoined Tudor at Juventus). Goalkeeping coach Fabian Otte stays, alongside set-piece specialist Andreas Georgson and academy transition coach Lewis. A Reddit thread citing Gold confirms:

“Igor Tudor’s coaching staff will include, subject to work permits, Ivan Javorcic as assistant coach, Riccardo Ragnacci as…”.

The New York Times’ Athletic reports:

“Spurs now have an imperfect and disjointed backroom team who need to unite with one clear aim over the season’s final 12 matches.”

Tudor’s group first crossed paths at Verona 2021-22, with Ragnacci staying post-Tudor before reuniting.​

When Is Igor Tudor’s First Match and What Challenges Lie Ahead?

Tudor’s baptism of fire is the north London derby versus league leaders Arsenal on 22 February 2026 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Spurs-web states:

“Tudor has been thrown straight into the hot seat, with Tottenham in a relegation scrap and in desperate need of wins.”

He meets the squad Monday after a five-day break post-Frank, per Hotspur HQ. Challenges include 11 injuries, Romero’s suspension, low confidence, poor scoring/defending, as Frank lamented. ESPN notes Tudor’s debut elsewhere yielded results, like a 1-0 Genoa win with his throw-in assist.

What Do Talking Tottenham Hosts Say About the Appointment?

In the latest “Talking Tottenham” podcast, football.london’s Alasdair Gold and Ryan Taylor dissect Tudor’s arrival. They cover the new coach, revamped staff, and derby preview, available on YouTube/podcasts. Gold confirmed staff changes via Hotspur HQ:

“Tudor arrived at Hotspur Way on Monday… sweeping changes.”

The hosts emphasise Tudor’s intensity mandate, aligning with Spurs’ statement for “organisation, intensity and competitive edge.” As veteran north London reporters, Gold and Taylor provide the inside track on Hotspur Way turmoil.

How Does Tudor’s Juventus Experience Benefit Spurs?

Tudor’s Juventus interim-to-permanent success – fourth place, edging Roma – mirrors Tottenham’s needs. There, he worked with Bentancur/Kulusevski, fostering familiarity despite injuries. Premier League.com profiles his Croatia assistant role and Hajduk roots, nine months aiding national team.

Sky Sports highlights: “He’s worked with a couple of Spurs players before. He had Dejan Kulusevski when he was the assistant to Andrea Pirlo at Juventus.” This continuity could aid quick integration, vital with 12 games left.