Tottenham Hotspur Supporters' Trust has called for 'emergency action' following a 5-2 defeat to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League last-16 first leg, a result that leaves interim head coach Igor Tudor under severe pressure. The loss extended Spurs' worst losing streak in history to six consecutive matches, with Tudor becoming the first Tottenham boss to lose his opening four games in charge.
The chaotic night was defined by the early substitution of goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky, whose errors gifted Atletico two goals within the opening 17 minutes. Kinsky's miscued pass allowed Marcos Llorente to score in the sixth minute, and after Micky van de Ven's slip gave Antoine Griezmann a second, the goalkeeper's failure to control a back-pass enabled Julian Alvarez to walk the ball into an empty net. A visibly distraught Kinsky was replaced shortly after a conversation between captain Cristian Romero and Tudor.
When asked if Romero influenced the substitution, Tudor insisted: 'My decision of course.' Pressed on Kinsky's performance, he offered a terse 'no comment', adding: 'It is not about my job, it is about how to help the team. I recognise what we are and which problems we have. Sometimes it is very difficult to explain.'
The Supporters' Trust issued a scathing statement, branding the performance a 'total disgrace' and symptomatic of an 'abysmal state of things at Spurs right now'. The statement criticised the January transfer window, management appointments, and lack of leadership, asking: 'Where is the Daring to Do? Where are the Echoes of Glory?' It demanded that those in Madrid have their match tickets refunded and concluded: 'Emergency action is needed as right now we are sleepwalking off the edge of a cliff.'
Despite trailing 4-0 inside 22 minutes after Robin Le Normand's goal, Spurs briefly rallied through Pedro Porro and Dominic Solanke, but a second goal from Alvarez made it 5-2. Atletico boss Diego Simeone cautioned against complacency, saying: 'We never know for sure if we always go through. This is the Champions League and it’s made for important players.'
