31/03/2026

SPORTS TUESDAY | MAR 31, 2026

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Short-lived reign Tudor leaves after just seven games as Tottenham battle for survival T OTTENHAM HOTSPUR parted com pany with coach Igor Tudor by mutual consent late on Sunday after just seven games in charge as they battle to stay in then substitute back-up goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky after just 17 minutes of the first leg in Madrid summed up a chaotic short-lived reign. In the Premier League, he managed just one point from five games, which came against the odds in a 1-1 draw at Liverpool.

Five options to replace Igor

SHORTS Les Bleus showcase firepower and Desire DESIRE DOUE scored twice as France show cased their attacking firepower and strength in depth with a 3-1 friendly win over Colombia yesterday, in their final outing before coach Didier Deschamps names his World Cup squad. Fielding an entirely different lineup from the first-choice side who beat Brazil 2-1 on Friday, Les Bleus still proved too strong for Colombia, with Doue’s double and another goal from Marcus Thuram sealing a comfort able victory. Jaminton Campaz pulled one back for Colombia, who were quickly overwhelmed despite a decent start. Sometimes criticised for favouring cold calculation over flair, France – over the course of two warm-up matches – combined style with efficiency and head towards the June 11-July 19 World Cup with growing certainty ahead of Deschamps’ final tournament in charge. “What we’ve produced over these two games is really interesting. We can’t wait to be in June,” said Rayan Cherki, who looked com fortable in France’s 4-2-3-1 formation. Deschamps was equally positive in his assessment. “A very positive sporting assess ment against two very strong South American teams,”he said. We gave a lot of players oppor tunities… the quality is there.” Ter Stegen’s chances very slim, says Nagelsmann GERMANY coach Julian Nagelsmann said yesterday that goalkeeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen was unlikely to go to the World Cup this year as he continues his return from injury. The 33-year-old Barcelona goalkeeper, who is on loan at Girona, underwent surgery on a torn hamstring in February, the latest in a series of injury setbacks. Talking to reporters ahead of their over night friendly against Ghana in Stuttgart, Nagelsmann revealed he had spoken with Ter Stegen this week. The coach said the goal keeper was unlikely to make the World Cup squad. “The chance is very, very, very slim, because you have to consider the overall situation,” said Nagelsmann. “He didn’t play for a year and then got injured. He’s been out for a year, so to speak, and played very little. “He should give it his all in his rehab… But he’s not 21 anymore. He’s got a few games under his belt. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for him, but we all have to be patient.” Salah warned against MLS move EGYPT’S national team director Ibrahim Hassan has cautioned Mohamed Salah against moving to Major League Soccer after he leaves Liverpool at the end of the season as it would see the forward fade into obscurity. Salah, 33, has yet to decide his next move after he ends a hugely successful nine-year spell at Liverpool, where he won two Premier League titles and the Champions League. MLS Commissioner Don Garber has said he would love to see Salah in the league, though it is unclear whether any MLS teams will attempt to sign him. “Personally, I would prefer him to stay in Europe,” Hassan told On Sports . “I have heard about offers from Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich and clubs in the Italian league. “A move to the Major League? He would be far too out of the spotlight. You won’t remember Salah any more than I remember (Lionel) Messi now, I don’t even try to watch him.” Hassan said the Saudi Pro League would be a suitable option if Salah chose not to stay in Europe. “If he does not receive offers from Europe, then a move to the Saudi league would be a good option, especially with big names such as Cristiano (Ronaldo),” Hassan added.

Ű BY JAMIE BRAIDWOOD

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR are searching for another manager to steer them away from the growing threat of Premier League relegation after sacking Igor Tudor. Whoever comes in next will need to hit the ground running, with seven games of the season remaining and Tottenham just one point above the relegation zone. They do not play again until Sunday April 12, with the trip to Sunderland followed by a home match against Brighton the following week. But who will the club turn to to take charge of this relegation battle? MAURICIO POCHETTINO Tottenham’s most successful modern-day manager is preparing to lead co-hosts the United States into the World Cup this summer, but could the Argentine be convinced to rescue his beloved Spurs over the final seven games of the season? Pochettino would be a popular appointment and would unite the club in a time of crisis – Spurs fans continue to sing his name, six years on from his departure from club. There has also been some talk that the 54-year-old will want to return to club management following the World Cup, with a permanent Tottenham return a possibility, anyway. Tottenham had also looked at Pochettino after sacking Thomas Frank in February and he was identified as their first choice. But the World Cup complicated matters, forcing Spurs to turn to an emergency option in Tudor. And those complications remain now. SEAN DYCHE The Independent has previously reported that Tottenham previously considered turning to Dyche, after identifying the former Burnley and Everton boss as one of the few remaining “survival specialists” out there with recent Premier League experience. Dyche, however, was sacked by Nottingham Forest in Undoubtedly a nostalgic, even romantic, option – and one of the few available contenders who really “gets the club” – but is this really what Tottenham need right now? The 79-year-old has been retired since 2017 and his last Premier League job was over a decade ago. But Redknapp is available and he is keen, as he told anyone who asked him: “Would I go back? Of course I would, but I doubt very much it’s going to happen.” RYAN MASON It wouldn’t be the first time the former Tottenham midfielder and assistant coach had been called into the caretaker role, having replaced Jose Mourinho in 2020/21 and Cristian Stellini in 2022/23. Since then, Mason lasted six months at West Brom and was sacked by the Championship club in January. Having worked under Ange Postecoglou, Mason, 34, would be familiar to the current squad – and could even assist any of the above options if required. ADI HUTTER A more recent name to emerge into the conversation, but Spurs may now be hesitant to turn to another manager with no Premier League experience after their disastrous decision to appoint Tudor. Hutter, a 56-year-old coach from Austria, was most recently in charge of Monaco, following a poor spell in charge of Borussia Monchengladbach and a more impressive one at Eintracht Frankfurt in Germany. But this would be another left-field move. – The Independent February after just four months and 17 matches, having failed to turn their fortunes around. HARRY REDKNAPP

the Premier League. Tudor lost five of those matches in a 44-day reign to leave Spurs out of the Champions League and hovering just one point above the relegation zone in the Premier League. The 47-year-old did not appear in front of the media after last weekend’s damaging 3-0 defeat to fellow strugglers Nottingham Forest after learning of his father’s death just after the game ended. “We can confirm that it has been mutually agreed for head coach Igor Tudor to leave the club with immediate effect,” Tottenham said in a statement. “We also acknowledge the bereavement that Igor has recently suffered and send our support to him and his family at this difficult time. An update on a new head coach will be provided in due course.” Tudor was appointed in February following the dismissal of Thomas Frank. Hired with a reputation of making an imme diate impact during a nomadic coaching career, the Croatian was powerless to stop Tottenham’s slide towards the relegation trap door for the first time since 1977. The London club, ravaged by injuries this season, have not won a League match

A 4-1 home defeat against north London rivals Arsenal got the former Juventus boss off to a bad start and worse was to come in further losses to Fulham, Crystal Palace and Forest. Spurs won the Europa League last year under Ange Postecoglou to end a 17-year tro phy drought but the Australian was sacked fol lowing a 17th-place finish in the Premier League. Frank arrived at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with an impressive track record at Brentford and the club started the season with just one defeat in their first seven League games. But they lost their way and club bosses axed the Dane under fan pressure following a run of just two wins in 17 League games. With the fates of Burnley and Wolves almost certainly sealed, Spurs are battling for survival along with West Ham, currently in the relega tion zone, Forest and Leeds. Relegation to the second-tier Championship would be a seismic event in English football. Spurs, who play in a gleaming new stadium that holds more than 60,000 fans, are one of the so-called “Big Six” in the Premier League and were ninth in Deloitte’s latest Money League study for the richest clubs in world foot ball. Just a few years ago they were Champions League regulars under former manager Mauricio Pochettino, reaching the final in 2019, but their decline has been pre cipitous. – AFP

since late December and are out of every cup competition. Even Tudor’s sole victory was fruit less as a 3-2 win over Atletico Madrid failed to overturn a 5-2 first leg deficit in the Champions League last 16. His decision to start and

Defiant Pochettino ready for Portugal test

USA coach Mauricio Pochettino expects a tough match against Portugal in Georgia. – AFPPIC

US football coach Mauricio Pochettino expects tomorrow’s (7am Malaysian time) pre-World Cup clash with Portugal to be an even tougher assignment for the tournament co-hosts than their recent 5-2 thrashing by Belgium. But the manager insisted he is happy that his final chance to assess his players before naming his World Cup squad will be another daunting friendly against highly ranked opposition. “We never thought that facing Belgium or Portugal would be easy,” said Pochettino after Sunday’s crushing loss to Belgium in Atlanta. “We knew we would have to dig deep and that it would give us a bit of a reality check.” “We have many things to improve… Portugal will present us with the same level of challenge – or perhaps even greater – and we need to raise our game.” Pressure is high on Pochettino’s men to deliver this summer. The US will take on Paraguay, Australia and either Turkey or Kosovo in their World Cup group, which has been viewed by pundits as a relatively kind draw for the co-hosts. All those games will take place on American soil – as would any knockout games should they progress – further raising expectations. The choice of opposition teams for the

United States’ final World Cup warm-up friend lies was always going to require navigating a fine line between building the players’ confi dence and rigorously challenging them. In contrast to the Americans’ elite oppo nents, for example, Pochettino’s native Argentina this week played a friendly against 115th-ranked Mauritania, which they won 2-1, and versus 91st-ranked Zambia. “We need competitive games to arrive to the World Cup at our best,” Pochettino told report ers. “I think we can arrive with the wrong idea – that we are so good, we are so handsome, we are so well dressed, and we are Americans. “It is good to feel that. But if you want to win the World Cup, you want to go to the next stage of the group and beat Paraguay… do you think they’re not going to fight?” After Portugal, the US will have its final war mup matches against Senegal – whose victory over Morocco in the African Cup of Nations final was recently reversed – and another top-10 ranked side in Germany. But Pochettino insisted he was “not going to change the approach because of the result” against Belgium. “We need to keep going with the plan.”– AFP