Further details on John Heitinga exit revealed after Tottenham appoint Igor Tudor
John Heitinga’s plans to become Tottenham’s interim boss were scuppered by the recent arrival of Igor Tudor.
That is according to Dutch journalist and Kick-Off podcast host Valentijn Driessen, who said the former Everton man didn’t fancy working under Tudor.
The Croatian was appointed as Tottenham‘s interim boss until the end of the season following the sacking of Thomas Frank a week ago.
Heitinga was only brought on board as part of Frank’s backroom staff at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in mid-January, but his departure ends his 33-day stay at the club.
The 42-year-old still harbours desires to be a first-team manager again after leading Ajax for a brief period in 2023 and 2025, with more details over his exit coming to light.
John Heitinga wanted to lead Tottenham before Igor Tudor appointment
Heitinga had previously served as an assistant manager at West Ham and with Arne Slot’s Liverpool, where he won the Premier League title last term.
He then made the switch to Tottenham in early 2026, but Heitinga didn’t taste victory in the five league games he was in the dugout for with the north Londoners.
Despite that, Driessen states that the former Fulham man hoped to lead Spurs for the rest of the campaign following Frank’s dismissal.
But when Tudor arrived, Heitinga, who has had two mixed spells managing Ajax, chose to move on.
Driessen said after revealing a meeting between the pair: “John could have stayed, but he had hoped to become interim manager for the rest of the season. Then he heard that Igor Tudor was coming.
“Then they sat down together, and he thought: ‘I don’t see any future here, because next season there will be a whole new staff and a new manager. He’ll bring his own people with him’.
“And he probably didn’t want to work under that Tudor, after which he said: ‘I’m closing the door behind me’.”
Should Tottenham fans be concerned about Tudor’s arrival?
When Tudor was first announced, there was a mixed reaction among Tottenham’s fanbase.
However, some of those fears have been allayed after his first club interview, with the 47-year-old coming across well on camera.
However, the former Juventus boss has a patchy record in management, with the Croatian having 12 jobs in 11 years.
| Igor Tudor’s top five longest managerial stints | Win percentage |
| Hajduk Split: April 2013-February 2015; 78 games, 35 wins, 21 draws, 22 losses | 44.87 |
| PAOK: June 2015-March 2016; 45 games, 17 wins, 17 draws, 11 losses | 37.78 |
| Galatasaray: February 2017-December 2017; 34 games, 19 wins, four draws, 11 losses | 55.88 |
| Hellas Verona: September 2021-May 2022; 36 games, 14 wins, 11 draws, 11 losses | 38.89 |
| Marseille: July 2022-June 2023; 48 games, 27 wins, eight draws, 13 losses | 56.25 |
To make matters worse, Tottenham cannot really afford to have a slow start under the former Marseille boss as they sit 16th in the table, just five points above the relegation zone.
Tudor does have a reputation of being something of a firefighter, which is just what Spurs need as they bid to beat the drop.
But there could be more pain and misery when they host rivals Arsenal in the next North London Derby on Sunday.
Check out Football Insider for the latest updates and insight into what is going on at Tottenham.