Igor Tudor slammed for Antonin Kinsky treatment after early substitution in Atletico Madrid nightmare - 'Man management at its very worst'

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TNT Sports expert and former England goalkeeper Joe Hart said he was "flabbergasted" by Igor Tudor's treatment of Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky, who was substituted after 16 minutes during the first leg of his side's UEFA Champions League last-16 tie against Atletico Madrid. The Spurs interim coach failed to acknowledge his keeper as he left the pitch heartbroken and frustrated.

Highlights: Spurs collapse in Madrid as keeper Kinsky hooked after 17 minutes

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Igor Tudor's treatment of Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky in the wild 5-2 defeat to Atletico Madrid left TNT Sports pundit Joe Hart "flabbergasted".

After conceding three goals, Tudor substituted Kinsky just 16 minutes into the clash at the Metropolitano in the UEFA Champions League.

It was a nightmare first half for Spurs as Atletico fired in four goals in the space of 22 minutes.

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After the first three, two of which came directly from goalkeeper Kinsky, he was substituted and replaced by Guglielmo Vicario.

It was Kinsky's first Champions League start for Spurs and the Czech endured a dismal, and short, night. But Hart believed it was worsened by Tudor's treatment of the 22-year-old as he failed to acknowledge the keeper upon his exit.

On the third goal, when Kinsky misjudged a pass, Hart sympathised: "It's such a difficult pass, he gets it all wrong. Left foot onto right foot. Oh my goodness me. It broke my heart."

Tudor slammed for 'cold' reaction to Kinsky sub - 'Man management at its very worst'

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He continued: "He's had a bad 14 minutes, there's absolutely no getting away from it. Even the stadium is feeling sorry for him. You see Tudor doesn't even acknowledge his goalie. 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. Yes, he's had a bad moment. Has he done it on purpose? Course he hasn't. Stand by your team, send a message. No, [he] stands there, pretends it's not happening, and moves on.

"I've been trying to make sense of it, and my overall feeling is, my heart is absolutely broken for the lad. I know it's a tough school, it's Champions League, it's such an important game.

"I said it before the game, he had an opportunity to give us the reason why he put him in goal. Was he getting an opportunity tonight? Was he just filling the gloves for one game? Who knows?

"I'm not making excuses for the lad, he had a horrible 14 minutes. A slip and that third goal was just everything he didn't want to happen. I don't even know what to say. I've seen the lot, I'm just heartbroken for the lad. This Tottenham team is all over the shop at the moment."

Vicario has been a mainstay in the Spurs net but, after facing criticism for several poor performances, Tudor opted to give Kinsky a chance in Madrid.

But Kinsky quickly made an error for the first goal with a slip, leading to Marcos Llorente making it 1-0 in the sixth minute, before Antoine Griezmann added a second in the 14th minute.

He was then at fault for the third goal as he passed it on a plate to Julian Alvaraz, who duly finished and capped a nightmarish 15 minutes for Spurs.

If Tudor thought implanting Vicario in goal would instantly change things, he was sorely mistaken, and the Italian conceded five minutes after coming in as Atletico raced into a 4-0 lead by the 22nd minute.

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Pedro Porro managed to cut the lead to 4-1 by half-time but more abhorrent defending in the 54th minute allowed Alvaraz to streak from one side of the pitch to the other and finish past Vicario for Atletico's fifth goal.

Steve McManaman was alongside Hart and was equally scathing in his comments of Tudor, calling it "man management at its very, very worst."

He added: "There's a gentleman behind, in black, he goes over and hugs him, two or three players hug him.

"That poor goalkeeper has had a terrible night after being chosen by his own manager and his manager has not even acknowledged him - go over and say sorry, 'don't worry about it', put his arm around him, do something to affect the situation. That is cold as cold can be. Ruthless."

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