Igor Tudor has sent clear message to Tottenham stars – 'I don't turn the other cheek'

Tottenham's new interim boss knows a thing or two about whipping a team into shape

Igor Tudor will make sure his Tottenham players are on it in training if his past comments are anything to go by.

The former Juventus star spent almost a decade in Italy as a player, winning the Serie A title and reaching the UEFA Champions League final in the 2002/03 season. After making 229 appearances and scoring 25 goals from centre-half, Tudor retired in 2008 and went into management.

He has enjoyed something of a nomadic time in the dugout thus far, taking in 10 different clubs in 12 different countries across the last 13 years. More recently that includes a short spell at Juve – where he was sacked – and a stint at Lazio, where he resigned after taking the club on an impressive run of form in the league.

Tudor was announced as the caretaker manager of Spurs on Saturday and his task is to try and haul the club away from the dreaded drop zone. Spurs are currently 16th and just five points above the relegation zone, so the Croatian certainly has his work cut out for him.

But this task will likely not feel daunting to Tudor as he told DAZN last August just how important keeping his players in line is. Reflecting on his upbringing in football in 2025, the 47-year-old said: "Alessandro Del Piero used to get mad if we lost a game in training. That was the famous Juventus way.

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"I’m the same in life. It’s about talking in facts and leading by example. I’m a man of few words and don’t turn the other cheek when someone is out of line.

"You have to always be on it in training, because that way the game itself is easier."

This clear message spells out to Spurs players that they won't be able to take it easy in training under the Croatian. With plenty of important games coming up, including a round-of-16 clash in the Champions League, it is imperative that he starts fast.

He faces a baptism of fire in his first game in charge as Tottenham host Arsenal in a north London derby on February 22, before a trip to Fulham and a home clash against Crystal Palace. Tudor is adamant he is ready for the challenge and wants results to change quickly.

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He said: "It is an honour to join this Club at an important moment. I understand the responsibility I have been handed and my focus is clear.

"To bring greater consistency to our performances and compete with conviction in every match. There is strong quality in this playing squad, and my job is to organise it, energise it and improve our results quickly."