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Roberto De Zerbi, Mauricio Pochettino, Robbie Keane, Igor Tudor: Seven contenders for Tottenham Hotspur manager's job following Thomas Frank sacking
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Updated 15/02/2026 at 08:41 GMT
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TNT Sports takes a closer look at seven of the contenders for the Tottenham Hotspur job following Thomas Frank's sacking. Roberto De Zerbi, former manager Mauricio Pochettino and even ex-frontman Robbie Keane - as well as the incumbent interim head coach Igor Tudor - are among the runners and riders for the role as the north London side search for some long-term stability after years of upheaval.
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A career in football management can be cruel - just ask former Tottenham Hotspur boss Thomas Frank.
For years, he was the hipster darling at Brentford, impressing fans and pundits alike as he helped turn The Bees into an established Premier League club.
He was rewarded for his hard work with the Spurs job over the summer, but less than eight months on from his appointment, he has been sacked.
Spurs moved quickly to appoint an interim head coach who should now be in place until the end of the season, as Igor Tudor joined with a reputation for getting quick results.
The managerial merry-go-round will keep turning, though, and the bookmakers have quickly collated a list of potential candidates to take over from the Croatian in the summer.
With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at the runners and riders to be the next Spurs boss.
Roberto De Zerbi
The former Brighton & Hove Albion boss left his role as Olympique de Marseille manager a matter of hours before Spurs sacked Frank, and he immediately stood out as the favourite for the Spurs job as a result, though he will now have to wait.
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De Zerbi deserves to be in the running after an impressive stint with The Seagulls, who he led to the semi-finals of the FA Cup and the round of 16 of the UEFA Europa League - all while playing an exciting brand of attacking football.
However, despite an impressive start to life at the Velodrome, similar to his time on England's South Coast, things unravelled very quickly, so his appointment is far from a formality.
Manchester United are also rumoured to be keen when they look to appoint their own permanent head coach in the summer, though Michael Carrick may have first refusal if he keeps impressing.
Mauricio Pochettino
A man who knows how to make Spurs tick, having previously taken them all the way to the UEFA Champions League final.
Pochettino is the sentimental choice after his impressive first spell in the role between May 2014 and November 2019.
However, he has struggled to replicate that success since, failing to last longer than two years during brief stays with Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea.
He is now the manager of the USA national team, meaning Spurs may have to wait until after the FIFA World Cup to get their man should they plump for the Argentinian.
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Robbie Keane
The club's former striker is another name that has become synonymous with Spurs, and he is now in the running for the role after a strong start to his career in management.
He made excellent progress with Ferencvaros this season, guiding them into the knockout stages of the UEFA Europa League.
The Hungarian club are also top of their domestic league, so it would not just be an appointment based on emotion and club allegiance, but on success in Europe.
Oliver Glasner
The German guided Crystal Palace to their first major trophy last season, masterminding a 1-0 win against Manchester City in the FA Cup final.
He also has a serious pedigree in Europe, having won the 2021/22 UEFA Europa League with Eintracht Frankfurt.
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He is set to leave Selhurst Park at the end of the season, so he would likely only be an appointment for the summer.
However, Glasner has had a tumultuous few months in south London with a humiliating FA Cup exit, big names departing and perceived criticism of the board - so seeing out the rest of his contract is far from a certainty.
Marco Silva
The Fulham manager has quietly gone about his business at Craven Cottage, re-establishing the west London club in the Premier League.
His side are 12th in the table, and he has experience managing top teams in Portugal and Greece.
Silva's contract is set to expire at the end of the season, so, like Glasner, he could be an option in the summer.
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Igor Tudor
In many ways, it is now the Croatian’s to lose.
The 47-year-old has a contract that runs until the end of the campaign so, short of any disaster, he has the best part of half a season to impress.
Tudor had a difficult end to his most recent stint, at former club Juventus, which started impressively in March last year as he secured Champions League football before being sacked in October. He is known for giving a quick boost to sides that need it.
Should he hit the ground running, win the fans over, push the club comfortably into the top half - dare to dream of a UEFA Conference League spot, perhaps - it might be difficult to appoint anyone else.
Xavi
A Barcelona legend who has experience managing at the highest level.
Xavi guided Barca to the 2022/23 La Liga title, all while helping develop some of the biggest names the beautiful game has to offer.
Furthermore, unlike many on the list, he is not in work, meaning it would be far easier to secure his services.
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