Tottenham head coach Igor Tudor was told that his father Mario had sadly passed away shortly after the conclusion of Sunday's home defeat against Nottingham Forest
Tottenham Hotspur head coach Igor Tudor discovered that his father, Mario, had sadly died after Sunday's 3-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest.
The Spurs manager was absent from media obligations after the loss in north London owing to an 'immediate family bereavement'. His former club, Juventus, have now confirmed that it was Tudor's father who passed away after paying tribute to the Croatian.
In a post on X, Juve wrote: "We are close to Igor Tudor and his family. Juventus joins in the grief for the passing of his father."
Tottenham subsequently issued a statement of their own on Monday afternoon which read: "Everyone at Tottenham Hotspur is deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Igor Tudor's father, Mario. Our thoughts and condolences go out to Igor and his family during this incredibly difficult time."
Football.london reported shortly after the disappointing result against Forest that Tudor would not be taking his post-match press conference with his assistant, the former Chelsea coach, Bruno Saltor, speaking instead.
He told reporters: "It's a personal family issue and obviously it's a difficult moment for him. I'm just trying to support the best way we can."
Tottenham's damaging loss against Nottingham Forest means they are now just a point above the relegation zone, with their opponents now above them in the league tables.
The loss intensified concerns over a potential relegation for Spurs, who have now gone 13 matches without a league victory. "The players got affected by the rhythm of the game and we couldn't find that rhythm to create more chances," Saltor said.
"The first half, the first 44 minutes I thought were good, really good, creating chances, getting into the box. In the second half, probably, we were unable to deal with the weight of the game."
Demands for Tudor to be sacked for the remaining seven fixtures of the campaign intensified following the loss. Ex-Spurs boss Tim Sherwood disclosed on Sky Sports News on Monday morning that he would accept the role if offered.
He said: "I don't think it's too late, I would keep them in the Premier League. I believe that someone with common sense keeps them in the Premier League, they have the quality to be able to do it.
"You have to get them feeling good again, you have to get the confidence in the group, and you don't get confidence by playing (Cristian) Romero, if you're Xavi Simons and you're playing Romero as a right winger and Xavi Simons just had his best game in a Tottenham shirt against Atletico Madrid.
"Xavi must be saying, 'What have I done? You're playing someone out of position in my position where I've just played very well.'"