Igor Tudor explains viral Arne Slot mix-up before Liverpool draw with Tottenham

The Spurs head coach appeared to say hello to the wrong bald man before last week's Premier League game at Anfield, but Tudor has clarified exactly what happened

Igor Tudor has clarified what happened when he appeared to mistake his own staff member for Arne Slot(Image: 2026 Liverpool FC)

Tottenham head coach Igor Tudor has revealed what actually happened during the viral moment in which he seemingly mistook Arne Slot at Anfield last week.

A clip of Tudor greeting Spurs’ player liaison officer Allan Dixon before the Premier League game between Liverpool and Tottenham became a comical talking point, as the Croat appeared to address the wrong bald man, before he then walked over to shake Arne Slot’s hand.

However, Tudor also began Tottenham’s midweek win over Atletico Madrid by wrapping his arms around Dixon on the touchline, with the pair sharing a joke. Speaking before Spurs’ defeat to Nottingham Forest on Sunday, he was asked about the incident involving Slot, and explained there was no case of mistaken identity.

“This time [against Atletico] we did it on purpose,” said a laughing Tudor.

“What happened was my son, who is 20 years old, said: ‘In Croatia everyone is laughing with you because you did this mistake’. I said: ‘What mistake?' and I said to him, 'You do know who is the guy?'

“‘No, I don't know,’ so I said, ‘it's Allan Dixon, I'm spending with him all days together,’ so I came out and he's standing in front of my bench.

“What other coach can be there in front of it? It's my training zone.

“He was there, I came to him to make a joke. If you understand, I came from this side [Dixon's right], I touched him and go to the other side.

“When he turned I was not surprised, I was laughing. I can imagine in Croatia because maybe they don't know who is Allan Dixon, but in England?

“I don't recognise the guy who I spent every day, 10 hours? So I come out and don't know he is? It was a little bit ridiculous.

“Now [Wednesday] we did it on purpose to make a joke, because from now on I call him Arne It's not Allan, it's Arne.”

Tudor's Tottenham fell to another defeat as it gets pulled further into the relegation picture(Image: Getty Images)

Despite Tudor’s jovial pre-match demeanor, Tottenham suffered yet another seismic loss on Sunday, as it was beaten 3-0 at home by fellow relegation candidates Forest.

That defeat leaves Spurs sitting just a point above the relegation zone, with West Ham’s 2-0 loss at Aston Villa meaning it remains in the bottom three heading into the international break.

Villa’s win also saw it extend its gap over Liverpool. Unai Emery’s side now holds a five-point advantage over the Reds in the race for the Champions League places.