Tottenham Hotspur have been tipped for the drop by a former Italy star who made headlines for a controversial moment in World Cup history
Former Italy centre-back Marco Materazzi has praised Igor Tudor but tipped Tottenham Hotspur for relegation.
Spurs are 17th in the Premier League, just a point above West Ham in the drop zone after Sunday's 3-0 defeat at home to Nottingham Forest as Vitor Pereira's side leapfrogged the Lilywhites in the table. Tottenham interim boss Tudor is dealing with bigger things than football right now after being informed after the game that his father Mario had passed away.
It is a delicate situation at the club and football.london reported this week that there is a growing belief among some inside Spurs that a mutual parting of the ways with Tudor is the likeliest scenario with the 47-year-old then able to focus on family matters, and the north London club on the huge pressures of what lies ahead.
Former Inter Milan centre-back Materazzi, who hit the headlines for being headbutted by Zinedine Zidane in the 2006 World Cup final, believes Tudor was always going to face a tough time and that anyone would struggle to turn around Tottenham's direction this season.
"Igor Tudor did a good job at Juventus but the Premier League and Italian football are totally different. It’s not easy, especially when you are in a bad moment in a season, and right now Tottenham Hotspur are not on top," said the 52-year-old Italian.
"I don't know what is going on in the locker room at Tottenham. I don't know what has happened. Whether they are happy about Tudor or not, when you are in a bad position you have to be a unit, and then you have to run hard because Tottenham should be one of the best teams in the Premier League."
He added to Hajper: "It's not easy to change a club’s history. Tudor is trying but I don't know if he can do it. He has time to finish his job and it's a good experience because the Premier League is one of the best leagues in the world.
"I hope they can stay up but it’s not easy because the teams behind them in the league are running harder than Tottenham right now."