Tottenham Hotspur's brief experiment with Igor Tudor came to an abrupt end on Sunday, with the Premier League strugglers announcing they had "mutually agreed" to part ways with their interim manager after just five weeks in charge.
The Croatian's departure leaves Spurs sitting precariously in 17th place, one point above the relegation zone and facing their first potential drop to the second tier since 1977.
Appointed last month to steady the ship after Thomas Frank's dismissal, Tudor managed to win just one of his seven games in charge.
His tenure was also overshadowed by personal tragedy when his father Mario died earlier this month, with the manager receiving the devastating news after Spurs' humiliating 3-0 home defeat by fellow strugglers Nottingham Forest.
"We can confirm that it has been mutually agreed for head coach Igor Tudor to leave the club with immediate effect," Spurs said in a statement.
"We also acknowledge the bereavement that Igor has recently suffered and send our support to him and his family at this difficult time."
TUDOR MAKES LITTLE IMPACT
The 47-year-old former Lazio and Juventus manager, hired with a reputation for turning around struggling teams, made little impact during his brief stint.
His reign began disastrously with a 4-1 Premier League mauling by derby rivals and leaders Arsenal, and losses to Fulham and Crystal Palace followed before the Forest debacle sealed his fate.
Spurs have not won a Premier League game since December 28 away at Palace, a woeful run of 13 games that has left the North London club in genuine danger of the drop.
The mood among supporters has soured dramatically, with scores of fans leaving at halftime during Palace's 3-1 victory earlier this month after Oliver Glasner's side scored three goals in eight minutes.
A draw at Liverpool and a battling 3-2 second-leg Champions League win over Atletico Madrid -- after a chaotic 5-2 away defeat in the first leg -- offered fleeting hope that Tudor could turn things around.
But the capitulation against Forest, where thousands of empty seats greeted the final whistle amid the familiar sounds of boos, highlighted the scale of the crisis.
Although Spurs finished 17th last season under Ange Postecoglou, they ended 13 points above the relegation zone as they prioritised winning the Europa League instead. Postecoglou was sacked soon after they won the Europa League.
This time, however, they do not have such a buffer while a lengthy injury list has also been a mitigating factor in their struggles.
Champions League runners-up in 2019, Spurs now have seven games to preserve their top-flight status. They next play away at Sunderland on April 12.
"An update on a new head coach will be provided in due course," the club added.
Reuters
