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By MATT BARLOW, FOOTBALL WRITER Published: 23: 40 AEDT, 13 February 2026 | Updated: 00: 58 AEDT, 14 February 2026 51 View comments Tottenham remain confident of appointing an interim head coach by Monday when the players will return to training for the first time since Thomas Frank's sacking. Former Juventus boss Igor Tudor is a prominent candidate, with former Leipzig boss Marco Rose and former Borussia Dortmund boss Edin Terzic also among the latest names to be linked to the role. Spurs want someone with the experience of stepping in and a track record for making an impact at short notice to provide the bounce that would lift them clear of the relegation battle. It would enable them to make a permanent appointment in the summer from a broader pool of options, which will include the interim. This rules out Frank's assistant John Heitinga and former striker Robbie Keane, who is currently in charge of Hungarian league leaders Ferencvaros and not likely to want to leave quit that job for one that might only last four months. Roberto De Zerbi, who left Marseille this week, is another linked but Spurs are put off by his combustibility. There are also concerns about his role in enabling Mason Greenwood to repair his career after leaving Manchester United in disgrace. Spurs, with chief executive Vinai Venkatesham and sporting director Johan Lange leading the search, appear to have moved on to other targets. Former Borussia Dortmund boss Edin Terzic and ex-Leipzig boss Marco Rose are options Thomas Frank was sacked on Wednesday and Spurs want a temporary replacement for now Frank was sacked on Wednesday, less than 12 hours after a defeat at home to Newcastle. Spurs are five points clear of the relegation zone. Their next game is at home to Arsenal on Sunday week, by which time West Ham will have closed the gap to two points if they beat Bournemouth at home, 24 hours before the North London derby. Venkatesham and Lange have no margin for error in the first managerial appointment since Daniel Levy was ousted as the club's executive chairman. Spurs have lost a strong network of football connections with the exit of Levy in September and co sporting director Fabio Paratici, earlier this month. Tudor was sacked by Juventus in October after seven months at the helm. He replaced Thiago Motta in charge of the club and led Juve to finish fourth in Serie A and qualify for the Champions League. Rose was fired by Leipzig in March after two-and-a-half years which included winning the German Cup in 2023. He has also coached Borussia Dortmund, Borussia Monchengladbach and RB Salzburg. Terzic, a former West Ham coach, quit Dortmund after leading them to the Champions League final in 2024.
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