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Our reporters had all the latest news before the weekend’s FA Cup fourth-round action as Spurs found an interim replacement for Thomas Frank The former Juventus and Marseille manager Igor Tudor has agreed to become Tottenham Hotspur’s interim head coach until the end of the season. The Confederation of African Football (Caf) president Patrice Motsepe has denied reports that Afcon 2027 will be postponed for a year. The Northern Ireland boss Michael O’Neill has become Blackbnurn Rovers’ new head coach “on a short-term arrangement” and will perform his new role in tandem with his international duties. Vitor Pereira has agreed a contract to become new head coach of Nottingham Forest that will keep him at the club until the end of next season, unless he he is fired first. Sunderland’s once all-powerful sporting director Kristjaan Speakman has left the club with immediate’s effect. Tomorrow’s FA Cup fourth round tie between Port Vale and Bristol City has been postponed after the Vale Park pitch was deemed unplayable. Manchester City midfielder Rodri has been charged with misconduct on the back of comments about referee impartiality he made in an interview following City’s 2-2 draw with Tottenham Hotspur and is facing a ban. Brentford striker Igor Thiago has signed a new contract, extending his deal until 2031. Sunderland: The last time Sunderland played Oxford United in the FA Cup, they beat them and got all the way to the final in 1992. They travel to the Championship strugglers on Sunday and will be hoping for a similar outcome, except without the Wembley defeat at the hands of Liverpool in May. “It’s one of the most iconic competitions in football, ” said Regis Le Bris of the FA Cup. “So just like how we did against Everton we want to go strong and for the context, the last game [against Oxford] we had [a 2-0 defeat in April] is a reminder that the Championship is tough. “Even if they are struggling in the league, we expect a tough game, especially in a competition like this, so we will have to be a strong force to be the winner of the game. ” The Sunderland boss is “not surprised” that January signing Nilson Angulo settled in so quickly. “When we decided to start with him [against Liverpool] it was clear he was ready because of his background, ” said Le Bris. “He played a lot of football in Europe so he has big experience. After that, however, it is about his connections with his team-mates. He was brave, he worked hard and I think he will improve in his next fixture. ” Africa Cup of Nations: The 2027 Africa Cup of Nations will go ahead as planned in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, according to the Confederation of African Football. CAF president Patrice Motsepe denied press reports that the competition could be postponed to 2028 because the three countries were not yet ready to host the tournament. “We have done a lot to have Afcon held in east Africa and our commitment remains to have Afcon in east Africa, ” Motsepe said after a CAF executive committee meeting. “I believe we will hold a very successful Afcon among the three countries. CAF will work closely with the host nations to ensure every aspect of the tournament – from infrastructure to logistics – meet the highest standards. ” No dates have been set for the tournament but CAF has picked the months of June and July, just before the Kenyan general elections in August. Nicholas Musonye, chair of the Kenyan local organising committee, had suggested postponing the tournament to 2028 due to “the volatile atmosphere around these elections”. He warned that “security would not be guaranteed for such a big competition as the Africa Cup of Nations”. Motsepe said that CAF would continue to invest in the training and development of referees and VAR officials to ensure the integrity of African football remains a priority. The officiating came under scrutiny at the 2025 AFCON in Morocco, especially in the final between the hosts and Senegal in which the Senegalese staged a walk-off over a penalty decision before going on to win the title. Nottingham Forest: Vitor Pereira’s contract with the club is only until the end of next season, according to Ben Fisher, our other man in the Nottingham Forest know, . I suppose when you’re burning through managers at the rate Evangelos Marinakis does, you don’t want to be overly generous when it comes to handing out four or five-year deals. The Portuguese has signed a contract to be the fourth Nottingham Forest head coach of the season. We are waiting for a formal announcement but it will not be far away, writes Will Unwin. Sunderland: The club’s once all-powerful sporting director Kristjaan Speakman has left the club with immediate’s effect. Speakman’s departure marks the end of five extremely successful years during which he helped to choreograph Sunderland’s rise from League One to the Premier League. This season, though, the former Birmingham City academy manager’s influence had been curtailed by the presence of Florent Ghisolfi, who became director of football last July. After lengthy discussions, the club’s board decided that Speakman was no longer needed. Although this decision was not mutual, the parting is understood to have been amicable and can be interpreted as the end of a key chapter in the club’s renaissance. The arrival of Ghisolfi, a former sporting director at Roma and Nice who had worked with Sunderland’s manager Régis Le Bris at Lorient, marked the beginning of a new era. In two transfer windows Ghisolfi has overseen 16 permanent arrivals, with his overwhelmingly successful signings including Habib Diarra, Enzo Le Fée, Granit Xhaka, Noah Sadiki, Nordi Mukiele and Robin Roefs. Behind the scenes scouts and analysts have been hired and, on matchdays, Ghisolfi has become almost a general manager, sometimes joining Le Bris in the dressing room and frequently being in the tunnel. Thomas Tuchel: Extending his England men’s team contract until 2028 means increased stability and a less relentless form of pressure for a head coach who is in no big rush to return to club management, writes Jacob Steinberg. Any notion of FA Cup fever at Port Vale has been put on pause: Saturday’s fourth-round tie at home to Bristol City has been postponed after a pitch inspection on Friday, when the surface was deemed unplayable. The match has been rescheduled for 3 March and both teams are now guaranteed a spot in Monday’s fifth-round draw. The Football Association has gone to extra lengths to ensure televised matches are not at risk, paying for a heated pitch covers in the case of Burton Albion v West Ham, also on Saturday, to combat the forecast freezing temperatures. Vale’s match against Championship playoff hopefuls City was not selected for broadcast. Bayern Munich: France defender Dayot Upamecano has signed a new four-year deal to stay at Bayern Munich, who hope the news will end speculation that his head might be turned by reported interest from Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain at the end of the season. AP Manchester City: Pep’s side host Salford City tomorrow afternoon, the same team they beat 8-0 in the third round last season. The League Two side are playing in the fourth round of the FA Cup for the first time in their history and will be hoping not to ship as big a hiding this time around. “Of course they are League Two and of course we play at home but I try to knuckle into the mind of the players that nothing is for granted and that everything is difficult, ” said Pep. “Of course, it could be easy afterwards but we have to do our job and that’s why in a tight competition in the FA Cup and Carabao Cup, we have always been there. We have always behaved really, really good and tomorrow cannot be an exception. ” Manchester City: In the wake of Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s controversial comments about immigrants trying to “colonise the UK” and subsequent non-apology apology, Pep Guardiola was aksed for his thoughts on the matter. The Manchester City head coach said he met Ratcliffe once and has a “huge appreciation” for him. “I think he made a statement and afterwards apologised, ” said Pep. “I will not comment on what Sir Jim Ratcliffe said because after that - all around the world it is a problem that we have, all around the countries. “We treat immigrant people and other people that come from other countries - that is a problem that our countries have. It is a big big big problem because the fact that I am Catalan and you are British - what influence we had when we were born was mum and dad, right? That’s why we were born there. “Everybody wants to have a better life. Every person wants to have a perspective to have a better future for themselves, for their families or their friends. Sometimes opportunities come in the place that you were born and the place that you go. Today before it was so difficult to travel but today in one hour you can be everywhere. “That is why the place you were born doesn’t make a difference. The moment we start, we have a lot of work to do about that. Does it make me feel like I am better than you because I am Catalan? No. ” Tottenham Hotspur: The club has reached an agreement for Igor Tudor to become their interim manager until the end of the season, leaving the door open for Mauricio Pochettino to return this summer. Jacob Steinberg reports … Playing days An imposing centre-back, Tudor broke through at hometown club Hajduk Split before joining Juventus in 1998. He spent nine years in Turin, winning two Serie A titles before returning to Hajduk. Tudor also won 55 Croatia caps, playing at the 1998 and 2006 World Cups and scoring against England at Euro 2004. Early managerial career Tudor's first managerial job came at Hajduk, winning the Croatian Cup in 2013. He lasted just nine months at Greek side Paok before being sacked due to "unsuccessful results and criticism of the team". After a year at Karabukspor, Tudor moved to Galatasaray but was sacked after 10 months, having struggled in Europe and fallen out with star player Wesley Sneijder. Return to Italy Tudor was named head coach of Udinese in April 2018 and saved the club from relegation. He left in the summer, but returned to Friuli in March 2019. Tudor rejoined Hadjuk in January 2020 but after just eight months he was back in Italy, joining Juventus as Andrea Pirlo's assistant. The pair won the 2021 Coppa Italia but failed to regain the title and were dismissed. "I think it was unfair, " Tudor said. "I've decided I will no longer work as an assistant for anybody else. " Season in Verona and Marseille move Tudor was hired by Verona in September 2021 after they started the season with three league defeats. He improved things quickly, guiding them to a ninth-placed finish – but again leaving at the end of the season. Tudor's next job came at Marseille, where he replaced Jorge Sampaoli. The team finished third in Ligue 1 but flopped in the Champions League, losing twice to Tottenham. He announced his exit in June after "a great year", saying he was "tired" of managing Marseille. Lazio stint and return to Juventus Tudor waited nine months for his next job, which came at Lazio after Maurizio Sarri resigned. After winning six of his 11 games in charge and sealing a Europa League spot, Tudor walked away after reported disputes with the club hierarchy over transfer targets. Having previously been linked with a return to Juventus, Tudor replaced Thiago Motta in March 2025, guiding the club to fourth place. He signed a contract extension until 2028, but was sacked in October after an eight-game winless run.  Guardian sport Win percentages by club Hadjuk Split (first stint) 44. 9% Paok 37. 78% Karabukspor 38. 1% Galatasaray 55. 9% Udinese (combined) 42. 3% Hadjuk Split (second stint) 50. 0% Verona 38. 9% Marseille 56. 3% Lazio 54. 6% Juventus 41. 7% Wolverhampton Wanderers: All but relegated from the Premier League in mid-February, Wolves will hope to avoid further embarrassment when they travel to face League Two side Grimsby Town in the FA Cup fourth round on Sunday. If they lose they will become the third team whose name begins with the letter W to have been put to the sword by The Mariners in the FA Cup this season, along with Wealdstone and Weston-Super-Mare. During his pre-match presser, Wolves head coach Rob Edwards was asked how he keeps his team motivated, given their Premier League fate has been all but mathematically sealed for months. “If everyone just decided not to turn up anymore we would be getting pretty badly criticised, ” he said. “We are all fighting for something. Our careers, the football club, our pride and it is important we show up. The lads are doing that. We didn’t get everything right, far from it the other night. But what we did get right is some fight and some determination and some spirit and those things are very important. ” Tottenham Hotspur: Igor Tudor’s has no connection whatsoever with Tottenham Hotspur, has managed nine different clubs in five different countries across the past 13 years and the only honour he has won as a gaffer was a Croatian Cup with Hajduk Split. As far as taking over at Tottenham is concerned, he sounds to the manor born, although if social media is anything to go by his appointment has gone down like a lead balloon among Spurs fans. Tudor is expected to take his first training session on Monday, ahead of Tottenham’s Premier League match against Arsenal next weekend. Manchester City: Rodri has been charged with misconduct on the back of comments he made in an interview following City’s 2-2 draw with Tottenham Hotspur a fortnight ago. The Football Association have not taken kindly to the Spaniard’s suggestion that referees have an agenda against his side and don’t treat them fairly. Tottenham Hotspur: Igor Tudor, eh? The former Croatia defender was last in the news when being fired as Juventus manager in October after a run of eight games without a win. Tudor had spent just seven months in charge of Juve and has previously managed Marseille, Hellas Verona, Udinese and Hajduk Split. His appointment is unlikely to set pulses racing among Spurs fans but they’ll be hoping Igor can keep them in the Premier League before a bigger name with a better pedigree joins them from the inevitable carousal that follows the World Cup. Spurs have agreed a deal to appoint former Juventus manager Igor Tudor as interim until the end of the season. And on that bombshell, I shall pass the blog to middle-distance runner Barry Glendenning to put more meat on the bone. And now another fantasic Friday FA Cup-based read, courtesy of Will Unwin. Chelsea boss Liam Rosenoir is heading back to Hull (for one day only). Is he fondly remembered? Here’s an excellent Friday afternoon read. Ben Fisher gets his chat on with Burton boss Gary Bowyer ahead of the FA Cup tie against West Ham. From Derek Mc Innes to our own Paul Mac Innes, who has an update from the Premier League shareholders’ meeting this morning. The independent football regulator (IFR) met with Premier League clubs on Friday morning and stressed the importance of agreeing a new financial redistribution deal with the EFL. David Kogan, the chair of the IFR, told clubs they should focus on agreeing the much-delayed deal as a priority, arguing that stasis will damage the competition’s ability to adapt to future challenges. Kogan, who also discussed the ongoing State of the Game review which will underpin the regulator’s work, is only the latest official to urge the top flight to resolve the redistribution issue which has been a subject of contention between the top flight and the EFL since the Covid lockdowns. The Premier League currently shares 15% of its central revenues down the football pyramid, but with the cumulative gap in revenue between the top flight and the Championship estimated at more than £5bn, the EFL has said the number should rise to a figure closer to 25%. At the meeting in central London, there was also scrutiny on Manchester United CEO Omar Berrada, following minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s widely-reviled remarks about immigrants to the UK earlier this week. When asked for his views on Ratcliffe’s remarks as he left the meeting, Berrada chose not to comment. Hearts boss Derek Mc Innes doesn’t mind his side being underestimated as they bid to keep Rangers and Celtic at bay at the top of the SPL table. Hearts are in the box seat with 12 games left and face a crunch clash against Rangers at Ibrox on Sunday. “I think from the outset, it was people looking in from September when we went top of the league ‘good old Hearts, top of the league in September, good on them’, ” said Mc Innes. “October, November, we were still getting a lot of plaudits. Now that we’re still there, I think we’re actually starting to annoy a few people. I think a lot of people naturally would have thought we’d have fell away by now, which is fine, I get that and I understand it. “We are overachieving. The boys are doing so well to maintain it and I’m just enjoying where we are. I don’t see anybody in the dressing room not enjoying it and we’ve just got to try and keep it going. ” Hearts could go eight points clear of Rangers with a win on Sunday. “We see the significance of the fixture, obviously when you’re playing teams around you, but a win, lose or draw for me doesn’t decide anything, ” said Mc Innes. “It’s an opportunity for us to go and try and win the game. We understand a lot of games are more difficult than others, and this is in that bracket, but nothing will get decided on Sunday. ” Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has issued fitness updates on Erling Haaland and John Stones ahead of the FA Cup tie against League Two neighbours Salford on Saturday. Haaland didn’t come out for the second half of the midweek win over Fulham and Guardiola said of the Norwegian striker: “Erling’s not 100 per cent but we’ll see today how he feels. “It’s not a big issue, the doctor said to me. But had some disturbance before and during the game and that’s why second half he didn’t play. We will see his evolution. ” Stones, after missing 19 games, was on the bench for the Fulham win. Guardiola revealed: “Yeah, unfortunately it’s [been] a long time. The last time he played was against Leeds United [in November] but fortunately he has made two or three training sessions. “We’ll see tomorrow if he plays or how many minutes he plays. Our priority is beat Salford and going into the next round. ” It’s quite a time to be Brentford striker Igor Thiago. As well as signing a new contract with the Bees today, he’s only gone and won the January Player of the Month award. It’s now the second time he’s landed that prize in the last three months. Thiago, who scored five goals in January, told the club website: “I’ve asked people at the club how many Brentford players have won this, and they told me that nobody had received this trophy before me. “So I’m really happy to have won it two times now and I look forward to, hopefully, winning more! I also want to thank all of the staff and all of the players for their support and for helping me on the pitch. ” Michael Carrick has won January’s Barclays Manager of the Month. The Manchester United boss held off a four-man shortlist featuring, erm, Sean Dyche (sacked), Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola and Chelsea’s Liam Rosenior. It comes just three months after Ruben Amorim (sacked) lifted the prized gong for his excellent work with United in October. Enzo Maresca (sacked) won the prestigious award for his exploits with Chelsea in November. Of course, Arsenal’s opponents Wigan aren’t just your average FA Cup team. Because in 2013 they did this. Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has been speaking ahead of the FA Cup tie against Wigan. The Gunners host the Latics on Sunday. “It’s an opportunity for the team, again, with another competition, and the history that we have related to that competition, it’s amazing. We’ll play at home again. I’m really excited to recover and go again. “Every three days we are getting so used to playing different competitions, home or away, and we know what that competition means to the club, to ourselves, and go step by step. “So we will reflect on the game [v Brentford], take the positive, the learnings for sure that we have to improve and go on Sunday again with the energy and the batteries fully charged to go and win the game. ” And they really should win the game. Wigan are 22nd out of 24 in League One and have conceded 30 goals in their 16 away games (won two). Blackburn Rovers have announced Michael O’Neill as new head coach on a short-term arrangement. O’Neill will take charge of first-team matters at the Championship side while continuing in his role as Northern Ireland manager, as agreed with the Irish FA. A club statement said: “A manager of outstanding experience and character, with a clear footballing philosophy and a reputation for getting the best out of players, the 56-year-old brings a proven track record at both club and international level over the past 20 years. “During his first spell in charge of Northern Ireland, O’Neill led the national side to UEFA Euro 2016 – their first major tournament finals in 30 years – earning widespread acclaim for his leadership, organisation and ability to develop competitive teams. “O’Neill was appointed Stoke City manager in November 2019, guiding the Potters to Championship safety in his debut season at the club. “He took charge of 143 games over a three-year period in the Potteries, before being re-appointed by Northern Ireland in December 2022. “His coaching career has also included spells in Scotland and Ireland, with Brechin City and Shamrock Rovers respectively. “It has been agreed that O’Neill will resume international duties for Northern Ireland’s FIFA World Cup play-off against Italy in March. ” Blackburn currently sit third-bottom of the Championship after just eight wins in 31 matches this season. They have been without a manager since Valerien Ismael left his role on 2 February. O’Neill said: “I am grateful to the Irish FA for their support and cooperation in allowing me to take this opportunity. “Blackburn Rovers is a historic Premier League-winning club with a proud tradition, and the chance to work at a club of that stature is one I felt was important to embrace. “The immediate focus is clear – there is a challenge ahead in the final stretch of the season and the objective is to help the team build momentum and climb the Championship table. “From a professional perspective, being back on the training pitch every day, involved in matches and the rhythm of club football, is always valuable. It keeps you sharp and connected to the demands of the game at this level. “For now, my focus is on giving everything to Blackburn Rovers in the weeks ahead. I understand what this club means to its supporters and I am looking forward to working with the players and staff to deliver performances the fans can be proud of. ” Damien Johnson will be in the dugout for Rovers’ game against Queens Park Rangers this Saturday, with O’Neill watching from the stands. Tottenham intend to appoint an interim manager until the end of the season, with a view to making a permanent hire in the summer. The north Londoners fired Thomas Frank earlier this week and are confident of having a replacement in charge by Monday. The dream, of course, is for Mauricio Pochettino to return once he has coached the USMNT at the World Cup. A fourth-place finish in the Champions League is highly desired. Michael Carrick, Liam Rosenoir and Arne Slot would shake on it right now. But it’s not where you want to be if you’re an Olympian and Team GB keep racking up the fourths. Can they finally win a first medal? Find out in our live blog. There is a managerial vacancy at Spurs. What do the bookies think? Next permanent Tottenham manager: 11/8 Marco Rose, 2/1 Igor Tudor, 7/2 Roberto De Zerbi, 11/2 Mauricio Pochettino, 6/1 John Heitinga, 13/2 Robbie Keane, 7/1 Edin Terzic, 16/1 Oliver Glasner, Ledley King, 20/1 Marco Silva, Enzo Maresca, Gareth Southgate, Harry Redknapp, Andoni Iraola, 25/1 Ruben Amorim. Marco Rose Marco Rose (born 11 September 1976) is a German professional football manager who was most recently the manager of RB Leipzig, and a former player who was a defender for Lokomotive Leipzig, Hannover 96 and Mainz 05. He coached Mainz 05’s second team, then Lokomotive Leipzig, before going through the ranks at Red Bull Salzburg. [1][2] After winning the UEFA Youth League, he became the first-team manager in 2017, winning the Austrian Bundesliga in both of his seasons and the Austrian Cup for a double in 2019. He then managed in the German Bundesliga at Borussia Mönchengladbach, Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig, where he won the DFB Pokal in 2023.