Former Everton star John Heitinga only joined Tottenham Hotspur earlier this year but the Dutchman chose to move on very quickly after Thomas Frank was sacked in favour of Igor Tudor
John Heitinga turned down the chance to stay at Tottenham Hotspur in the aftermath of Thomas Frank’s sacking. The former Everton defender only arrived in North London last month as an assistant.
But with Spurs under real threat of relegation to the Championship, club chiefs elected for a dugout. Frank was replaced by Igor Tudor, who was handed the reins until the end of the season.
Surprisingly, Heitinga was also among those to depart but he could actually have ended up staying. His agent Rob Jansen said: “He was allowed to stay. They even asked him to stay.
“All other coaches, all Scandinavian, left. And after three weeks, they told him: ‘Please stay and see out your contract here.’ That's quite an achievement for someone who worked there for three weeks.
“But he said: 'Yes, but now Igor Tudor, a Croatian coach, is coming with a whole staff for three or four months'. That man is always hired for emergency jobs.
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“That almost never works. Why they did that is a mystery to me. And then another coach will come in. So, you can leave twice. That new coach will also come in with 45 people. He said: ‘This is pointless, Rob. I have to leave now’.”
Hansen has also suggested that Spurs had a plan for Heitinga to eventually claim the hot seat but given his relatively recent arrival, it was decided that he wouldn’t be appointed just yet.
He added: “But there was a chance he would take over; we had that in mind. Only: the club didn't. After three weeks, they decided it was too soon.
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“So, then you have an interim manager. What does the management do, or in this case, the owners, the Lewis family?
“They opt for some kind of security. They hire someone with a track record, someone known as a crisis manager at struggling clubs for a few months. That saves their image. Unless they dare to continue with Heitinga and a new staff, but they won't.”
Tudor’s appointment at Spurs did not have the desired impact for the North London Derby, having lost 4-1 on his debut. That defeat has left the club sitting 16th in the Premier League table and just four points clear of the drop zone.