Igor Tudor's decision to substitute goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky after just 17 minutes in Tottenham's Champions League defeat to Atletico Madrid has intensified calls for his dismissal. The north London side conceded four goals in 22 first-half minutes, with Kinsky at fault for multiple strikes, before Tudor hauled him off in a move described as 'finishing' the young keeper's Spurs career.
Former Scotland striker Ally McCoist, speaking on TNT Sports, said: 'Finished. It'll finish him. There's no way back. Absolutely that's on the manager.' McCoist acknowledged Tudor may have felt compelled to act due to 'schoolboy errors', but added: 'It's proved he's made a mistake in changing the goalkeeper.'
Tudor did not acknowledge Kinsky as he left the pitch, a snub that left ex-Tottenham goalkeeper Joe Hart 'flabbergasted'. Hart said: 'You see Tudor doesn't even acknowledge his goalie. Does not even acknowledge him. If that's man management, I'm flabbergasted. He's acted like that's not the 14th minute, and that doesn't happen at any level, I'm talking Sunday league. This is the Champions League.'
Kinsky, signed in January 2025, has made only 13 appearances for Spurs. His replacement, Guglielmo Vicario, had been dropped for the match and was seen consoling the distraught keeper. Captain Cristian Romero also offered support as Kinsky trudged off to jeers from the Madrid crowd.
Tudor has now lost all four games since succeeding Thomas Frank, and Spurs face a mountain to climb in the second leg. The manager has admitted the Champions League is secondary to Premier League survival, with a trip to Anfield looming. The defeat marks the nadir of a slide that predates Tudor's arrival, but his handling of Kinsky may prove the final straw for the board.
