By our reporter 11.3.2026
Tottenham Hotspur coach Igor Tudor is under fire and could be shown the exit door after his treatment of goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky in their 5-2 Champions League first leg round of 16 tie loss to Atletico Madrid.
Tudor yanked off Kinsky after he made two errors that Atletico cashed on in 17 minutes of play. After a teary eye Kinsky was subbed off, Tudor didn’t offer any words of comfort for the 22-years-old goalkeeper who was having his first taste of Champions League action for the club.
The incident was a new low for Tottenham that have fallen off the radar of the top eight finish in the Premier League. The treatment of the young goalkeeper attracted criticism for Tudor who left Juventus in the summer to join the London club.
Former Tottenham keeper Paul Robinson: “Tudor’s decision was “selfish” and “it will be soul-destroying for Kinsky.”
Former Man City Keeper Joe Hart: “I’ve been trying to make sense of it, and my overriding feeling is that my heart is absolutely broken for the lad. I know it’s school [sic], it’s Champions League, it’s such an important game.
“That just felt like a message to him. I’m not making excuses for the lad, he’s had a horrible 14 minutes, the slip and that second goal, was just everything he didn’t want to happen.
Former Man United Keeper David De Gea: “No one who hasn’t been a goalkeeper can understand how difficult it is to play in this position. Keep your head up and you will go again.”
Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone: “I’ve never seen that at a professional level. It’s not my problem, it’s theirs, their coach’s and the goalkeepers, and we’re focused on ourselves, not on someone else’s decision-making.”
However, Tudor defended his action: “I have been coaching 15 years and I never do this. It was necessary to do this, preserve the guy and the team. Incredible situation. Before the game it was right choice, in the moment we are in, pressure on Vicario. Tony [Kinsky] is a good goalkeeper.”