Igor Tudor has defended his decision to substitute goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky after just 17 minutes of Tottenham's 5-2 Champions League loss to Atletico Madrid, describing the move as “necessary” to protect both the player and the team. Kinsky, making his Champions League debut, made two high-profile errors that gifted goals to Julian Alvarez and Marcos Llorente, leaving Spurs 3-0 down inside the first quarter of an hour at the Estadio Metropolitano.
The 22-year-old was replaced by Guglielmo Vicario and consoled by teammates including Joao Palhinha, Conor Gallagher and Dominic Solanke as he left the pitch. Tudor admitted he had never before substituted his first-choice goalkeeper in his 15-year managerial career but felt it was the right call in the circumstances. “It was necessary to preserve the guy, to preserve the team,” he said.
Tudor faced questions over his decision to start Kinsky ahead of Vicario, a move that raised eyebrows. He insisted it was “the right choice to do in the moment like we are,” citing pressure on Vicario and the need to rotate. However, he acknowledged that with hindsight, the decision appeared wrong. “After this, of course, it is easy to say that it was not the right decision,” he added.
The defeat extended Tudor's difficult start as Spurs manager, making him the first to lose his first four games in charge. His job is under serious pressure, with uncertainty over whether he will remain for Sunday's trip to Liverpool. When asked about his future, Tudor said: “It is not about my job, it is about how to help the team. It will always be about that.”
