Mauricio Pochettino and the other favourites to succeed Igor Tudor as sack response already given

Fri 6 March 2026 13:00, UK

Igor Tudor is already facing serious pressure as Tottenham boss.

The Croatian joined Spurs last month following the sacking of Thomas Frank, with the task of steering the club to safety.

Since then, Tottenham have lost all three matches under his guidance, against Arsenal, Fulham and Crystal Palace.

Asked at his press conference whether he will be seen in the Spurs dugout again after the loss to Palace – in other words, does he believe he’ll be sacked – Tudor replied: “What? No comment on that question.”

While the blame for the ongoing disaster does not fall at his feet, the pressure is piled on his shoulders to turn the ship around.

Mauricio Pochettino is the only option that makes sense

As per the 5/4 odds offered by one major bookmaker, former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino is the current favourite to lead the club into next season, with Tudor’s appointment being on an interim basis.

The Argentine would make complete sense, having led the club through their most fruitful period of the modern era – fighting for the Premier League title on multiple occasions, and reaching the 2018-19 Champions League final.

Spurs require a reset, and there would be nobody more suited to lead that than the man who saw the club capitulate following his departure in 2019.

The problem is that Pochettino is set to lead the US Men’s National Team into the World Cup over the summer, with the issue exacerbated further due to the fact that the competition is being held Stateside.

Unlikely to leave his post prior to the expiration of his current deal following the culmination of the tournament, it would leave Spurs searching for yet another interim solution before his arrival – a route that the club have already begun going down with Tudor.

If Pochettino were to return ahead of the 2026-27 campaign, the Lilywhites would be back at square one if Tudor were to lose his job in the early stages.

Read more: Tottenham sticking point to hire ‘outstanding candidate’ Mauricio Pochettino as manager named

Roberto De Zerbi is also in contention – but is he the right man?

Behind Pochettino in the odds list sit Roberto De Zerbi and multiple others, though the former Brighton head coach would be an intriguing prospect for both the right and wrong reasons.

Tottenham manager odds for the first game of the 2026-27 season:

Mauricio Pochettino – 5/4
Roberto De Zerbi – 9/4
Igor Tudor – 13/2
Robbie Keane – 10/1
Marco Rose – 14/1
Andoni Iraola – 16/1
Edin Terzic – 16/1
Kieran McKenna – 16/1

De Zerbi’s time at Marseille came to an end last month, after the outspoken Italian had multiple clashes with the club’s hierarchy and players in what can now be deemed as typical De Zerbi style.

The 46-year-old took over from Graham Potter at Brighton in 2022, and led the Seagulls to the Europa League playing some of the best football that the Premier League has seen in recent years.

And quite archetypal of his managerial career, things fell apart in season two, with De Zerbi leaving Brighton for Marseille ahead of the 2024-25 season after his Brighton side finished 11th in the standings.

While his time at Shakhtar Donetsk came to an end in 2022 due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and thus, won’t be majorly considered among his list of jobs, it has to be acknowledged that De Zerbi has not lasted more than three years in a specific job.

Between the years of 2018 and 2021, his Sassuolo side proved one of the most fascinating teams in Italy as the likes of Manuel Locatelli and Domenico Berardi flourished under him.

But since then, he has not helped himself when it comes to talking himself out of a job at both Brighton and Marseille.

Given his outspoken nature and the poor organisation at Spurs, De Zerbi and Tottenham would be a disastrous marriage that could explode at any time.

For more on Tottenham’s manager search, check out Football Insider for more news.