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Journalist Valentijn Driessen has revealed why Tottenham’s first-team assistant coach John Heitinga resigned instead of working with Igor Tudor.

Heitinga arrived at Tottenham Hotspur just last month, with his stay in North London proving extremely short-lived.

When Thomas Frank was sacked by Spurs, it was suggested that Heitinga could be put in charge of Tottenham until the end of the season.

However, the club decided to bring Tudor through the door, with Heitinga following Frank out of the door, along with other members of the Dane’s staff.

John Heitinga did not see a future at Tottenham after Igor Tudor’s arrival

It was revealed by The Daily Mail a few days ago that Heitinga himself decided to exit Spurs after Frank’s sacking, rather than being sacked.

Valentijn Driessen has now explained that the former Ajax head coach was hoping to be handed the top job on an interim basis and did not see a future at Hotspur Way after the club looked past him.

Speaking about Heitinga’s exit from Tottenham, the journalist said (via Soccer News): “If you read the statement, he could have stayed, and of course, he was still there.

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“That manager had been fired last week, and John could have stayed, but he had hoped to become interim manager for the rest of the season. Then he heard that Igor Tudor was coming.

“Then they sat down together, and he thought: ‘I don’t see any future here, because next season there will be a whole new staff and a new manager. He’ll bring his own people with him.’ And he probably didn’t want to work under that Tudor, after which he said: ‘I’m closing the door behind me’.”

Tudor appointment seen as a big risk by Spurs

Many pundits are shocked that Tottenham have turned to Tudor to get them out of relegation trouble, given his lack of experience in Premier League football.

The decision is seen as a huge gamble by the North London club, who find themselves five points off the drop zone.

An Italian fitness trainer has revealed why he thinks Tottenham Hotspur and a few other clubs are spiralling from one injury crisis to another.

Spurs may have felt that the injury crisis they experienced last season was as bad as it will ever get, and things could not possibly be any worse.

In fact, right from the start of the season, Thomas Frank insisted that Tottenham are making plans to avoid injuries mounting up, but those plans clearly have not worked.

Spurs have had double-digit absentees for a significant part of this campaign, with only a handful of players in the squad being completely unaffected.

Expert claims Tottenham’s injury troubles are systemic

Athletic trainer Eugenio Albarella has been discussing the topic of the increased injuries across Europe, and he believes the issue is systemic.

He suggested that the chickens are finally coming home to roost due to the increased load of extra matches across the continent over recent years, given the intensity at which the games are now played.

Albarella told Radio Marte, (as relayed by Area Napoli): “Today there isn’t enough leeway to adapt to the performance times that modern football requires. Above all, the intensity has increased. If there’s no opportunity to prepare adequately, the injury rate inevitably increases.

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“Napoli is among the top teams that play every three days. Tottenham and Manchester United have faced matches with 15-18 players unavailable: it’s a plague that doesn’t just affect Napoli, because it’s a plague that I define as systemic.”

The shocking numbers behind Spurs’ injury crisis

Sport Witness have also carried these quotes from Albarella, and they provide the numbers that prove his point.

The website reveals that last season alone in the Premier League, there were 593 injuries across the division, with a combined 2597 games missed by those players.

Spurs were one of the worst affected, suffering 41 injuries in total across the whole of the 2024-25 campaign.

A new report has revealed whether Kota Takai could depart Tottenham permanently next summer without making a single appearance for the North London club.

Takai has had a mixed start to his loan spell at Borussia Mönchengladbach after completing a temporary move to the German club last month.

The Tottenham youngster delivered a poor showing in the 3-0 defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt last weekend, but it has emerged that the Bundesliga side have still been impressed with the centre-back overall.

In fact, a report from Germany revealed earlier this week that Gladbach are already exploring the possibility of extending Takai’s stay for one more season.

Borussia Mönchengladbach have an option to purchase Kota Takai from Tottenham

A report in Rheinische Post (as relayed by Fussball Transfers) has now confirmed Gladbach’s interest in retaining the 21-year-old beyond the summer.

In fact, the outlet claims that the club’s officials have already started discussions over keeping Takai at the club for next season.

Rather surprisingly, the report asserts that the Bundesliga club also secured a purchase option for the Japanese defender as part of their loan agreement with Tottenham Hotspur in January.

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The option is said to be ‘in the high single-digit millions’, which may be too expensive for the German side, which is why they may prefer extending his loan.

What Takai feels about staying at Gladbach

Rheinische Post say that the defender has shown ‘glimmers of his potential’ already at Borussia Park despite his costly error against Frankfurt.

It is revealed that the Tottenham defender is feeling at home in the Lower Rhine region since his mid-season move.

The outlet adds that Takai’s desire to continue at Gladbach beyond the summer would ‘increase the chances’ of the club reaching an agreement with the North London side.

Hamburg manager Merlin Polzin has revealed whether he believes the club can retain the services of Tottenham youngster Luka Vuskovic beyond this season.

While Vuskovic’s performances for HSV this season have attracted interest from the European elite, the chances of him leaving Tottenham seem slim.

Reports indicate that Spurs are expected to rebuff any approaches for the 18-year-old, having been impressed by his development.

However, that does not necessarily mean that the centre-back will be part of the first-team squad at the North London club next season.

Hamburg manager wants to retain Tottenham’s Luka Vuskovic for next season

Vuskovic has not closed the door on extending his loan spell at Hamburg, although he made it clear that a decision will only be made at the end of the campaign.

For the first time, Polzin has now publicly voiced his desire to keep the teenager at the Volksparkstadion for one more season.

When asked if HSV could keep hold of Vuskovic beyond the summer, the Hamburg boss told Bild: “I’m a man of conviction. Of course, I also believe in things that seem impossible, even if they’re just a bit romantic about football. Nevertheless, there’s a clear contractual agreement between the clubs.”

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“We’re very grateful that we found a solution last summer. It was very clear from the start with Luka’s camp that he only wanted to join HSV. The communication with Tottenham Hotspur is extremely professional, both last summer and now. We’d be very interested in him continuing to wear the HSV jersey.”

Spurs facing dilemma ahead of Vuskovic decision

Some sources have claimed that Tottenham have a ‘clear plan’ to bring the young defender back to the club in the summer, before deciding on his future.

However, it has also emerged over recent weeks that Spurs face a big dilemma in keeping Vuskovic at the club next season.

It was explained that the centre-back could demand a regular first-team role next season, having got a taste of it in Germany, and the Lilywhites may not be in a position to promise the centre-back regular starts next season.

Jamie Carragher believes that there are some really worrying signs at Tottenham Hotspur, which show that relegation may be a very real possibility for the club this season.

The prospect of Spurs being in a relegation battle was inconceivable for the last two decades, but that is exactly the situation that the Lilywhites find themselves in right now/

They are at risk of going down for the first time in Premier League history, but there appears to be a hesitation from the club to admit their current predicament.

New interim boss Igor Tudor insisted that he is 100 per cent confident that Tottenham will stay up, even refusing to discuss the possibility of a relegation battle in his first press conference.

Jamie Carragher explains why Tottenham are far from guaranteed to stay up

However, Carragher vehemently disagrees with Tudor’s claim, suggesting that the lack of quality in Tottenham’s squad makes them a clear candidate for relegation.

The pundit believes that finishing in the bottom three would be an extremely embarrassing development for a club of Spurs’ size and resources.

He wrote in The Telegraph: “It is often said that a club are too big, or even too good, to go down. No one is making that claim about Tottenham Hotspur. The fear that prompted the end of Thomas Frank’s unhappy reign is justified. Watching Spurs, and comparing their current form to third-bottom West Ham United – a team who recently won at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – warrants the suggestion they are on the verge of catastrophe.

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“If they drop into the Championship it would be the most shocking descent of the Premier League era, and the most embarrassing for a club of such wealth and stature since Denis Law’s back-heel for Manchester City sent Manchester United into the old Second Division in 1974.

“Analysing the quality of the squad Igor Tudor leads for the first time in this weekend’s North London Derby, the scale of the challenge is obvious.

The concern is the prolonged dip under his two immediate predecessors, and how soon that can be reversed. There is no escaping the shadow of the dreaded “R word” at Spurs. Relegation is possible. Add “ridiculous” or “reprehensible” and plain “rubbish” to the valid descriptions of their record over the past 27 months, which has led them to this perilous situation.”

Carragher says Spurs’ home record is a cause for major concern

The former Liverpool man pointed out that clubs who are in a dogfight at the bottom end of the table are generally reliant on picking up points at home to ensure their safety.

Carragher suggested that there is no evidence that Tottenham can manage that, given their record at home during the past two seasons.

He added: “Spurs’ abysmal form since they were top of the Premier League in November, 2023, defies belief. Since the infamous night when Ange Postecoglou’s in-form side continued to play a high line with nine men against Chelsea in a 4-1 defeat, Spurs have played 91 Premier League games. They have won just 30 and lost an eye-watering 44.

“What is most troubling for those seeking a compelling argument that the team will fight their way out of trouble is the terrible home run.

“Successful relegation scraps are often built on the ability of a club to turn their own stadium into a fortress – especially those with the most vibrant arenas. Goodison Park was Everton’s saviour on numerous occasions whenever they needed a great escape, for example. They were an example that the bigger the club, the more effective the rallying cry at the darkest hour.

“Can Spurs rely on such home comforts? Of the 44 defeats referenced above, exactly half have been at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where they have won only 17 of their last 46 Premier League fixtures. Where is the evidence that can change in an instant? Too many opponents are heading to that ground with relish rather than trepidation.

“After Arsenal, the visitors are Crystal Palace, Brighton, Nottingham Forest, Leeds United and Everton. On paper they are all winnable games. The trouble is that it is truer for the opposition. If there is no upturn, the alarm bells will be deafening when you consider Spurs’s last two away games of the season are at Aston Villa and Chelsea.”

Johan Lange has reacted to Ange Postecoglou’s claim about the way Tottenham operate in the transfer window and has revealed what the club’s ambitions are.

Ange Postecoglou said something very interesting in his recent appearance on The Overlap that resonated with Tottenham fans.

Postecoglou claimed that Spurs do not act like a big club in the transfer window and do not live up to their ‘to do dare is to do’ motto.

The former Tottenham boss mentioned the top managers who have failed to produce successful sides at N17, pointing to the club’s lack of expenditure as the main reason.

Johan Lange defends Tottenham’s January business

The Dane refused to get drawn into Postecoglou’s words, but he insisted that Tottenham’s inactivity in January is not indicative of a lack of ambition.

Lange insisted it was a lack of player availability mid-season that prevented the Lilywhites from bringing more signings through the door.

When asked about Postecoglou’s comments, he said: “I’m not going to sit here and start commenting on an ex-club employee’s comments. I think Vinai in his notes earlier this year made it known in the matchday programme that we, as a club, need to grow our wage bill to be competitive. We were also linked, I think Thomas commented on players in January, and it was definitely not because of a lack of ambition or effort from our side that those players are not here today.”

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When told Tottenham fans may want to see proof in actions rather than words, Lange responded: “Yeah. One hundred per cent, that is the only thing. Of course, it’s actions, that is the only thing, but when you are in any transaction it does take three parties. It takes a player to agree and we are not in control if a player makes a career choice to join another club, then that is unfortunately outside our control,” said the former Aston Villa man.

“Just 10% of all transfers happen in January and 90% in the summer. I personally believe the new European format changed the dynamic a little bit around the window because I remember my first year here before the new format, you had four teams in a group. A lot of teams would be out of the reckoning by October or something like that and then they would play their next competitive game around this time.

“Now we are playing a different format it means every point counts. You go into matchday eight, but almost every team in Europe had something to play for whether that was better seeding or top eight. You are playing through December and not in the beginning of January but the last part of January. You are playing two very competitive matches with the fact that not only us but a lot of teams have what they would say is too many injuries.”

Lange says Spurs want to build a squad capable of competing on multiple fronts

The Tottenham Hotspur sporting director insisted that the level of signings the club wanted to make were not on the market last month, and also pointed to their already bloated squad, which has forced them to leave players out of the Champions League.

The Dane insisted that there is a clear vision at N17 to build a competitive team that can challenge at the highest level.

Johan Lange continued: “In January, very few players who could make a difference for us now or in the future were available. Then it’s back to the point even though the squad is too short we still have players we are unable to register for the last 16. So to bring in players that cannot help us now or we don’t believe have potential for the future, that unfortunately for me doesn’t make sense.

“If you analyse all the transfers in January everyone can see there were very few players available. That is reality and then looking towards the summer the message has been clear from the owners of the club, Vinai has been on record saying this. I have been saying this as well and very happy to repeat it that the sole focus of this club is to create on pitch success.

“It is to be competitive across different tournaments and, very importantly, an ingredient in doing that is if you have a squad capable of competing in multiple fronts and we are not there yet but that is the clear vision.”

Johan Lange has explained what qualities of Igor Tudor convinced Tottenham that he is the right man to get the club out of the mess they find themselves in.

The new Tottenham interim boss cut a determined figure in his first press conference on Friday, and he was very bullish about the quality at the club.

In fact, Tudor confidently asserted that Spurs will not get relegated, even though the Lilywhites have been in freefall over recent weeks and are just five points off the dropzone.

Some pundits have blasted Tottenham for appointing Tudor, suggesting that he may be in for a rude shock, given his lack of experience in the Premier League.

The Spurs sporting director is confident that the club have bought in the right man, revealing that they spoke to several managers about the vacancy.

Lange pointed to Tudor’s record of making an immediate impact at big clubs as one of the reasons why he is the right fit for the North Londoners.

When asked about the decision to appoint the Croat, the Dane said (via Football.London): “When you make the decision around Thomas, it’s very important to go into a shorter process than if you are changing a head coach over the summer. We interviewed a few candidates. Igor impressed us very, very much in the interview.

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“We also managed to take references of him, and he comes in with very big experience at the highest level in football and as a player, playing for a very, very big club, one of the biggest clubs in the world in Juve, he was part of this very good generation of the Croatian national team in the late 90s.

“He has shown the capabilities of coming into clubs around this time, February, March, and also big clubs, and made an immediate performance impact. That was a very big reason. There is a big difference, if you are a coach for example, who has only started a new job on July 1. You have six or seven weeks to prepare to get to know the club. I’m not saying that necessarily it’s easy, but that’s a different challenge.

“If you come in here on the Monday and you are playing at the weekend, you need to build relationships with the players immediately and assess the style of the club immediately. He has shown that with great success, not only once but a few times, to come into that. That is one of the reasons why we believe he is the best candidate here now but also with his reputation and what he’s done in his career, of course, if things go well, he could be here for a long time.”

Thomas Frank’s style of football failed to resonate with Tottenham fans, who were not happy to see their side regularly defending deep and playing on the counter-attack.

Lange insisted that delivering possession-based, attacking football is a key criterion for the club moving forward as they get set to decide on their next permanent manager.

When asked if the next coach will bring the right style of play to the club, he responded: “It is definitely something high up on the list. We are very ambitious to create a team that can play dominant football and control matches with the ball for a few reasons. If you look across almost every league in the world, that is how the top teams normally are successful – able to dominate possession, create chances, be aggressive without the ball and that is of course the football.

“Then we are also a club with a rich history of having some of the best offensive players in the world and having a very particular style of play that resonates with the history, resonates with the fans and that combined with having a possession-dominant, aggressive style of play, those two things go hand in hand. Of course, that is something that is important for us here at the club.”

However, when pressed for comment on the Tottenham fans singing for Mauricio Pochettino, Johan Lange only said: “Igor has been here for five days. That is our focus and I am not going to comment on any names that have been linked to the job.”

Igor Tudor has revealed whether Dominic Solanke and Pedro Porro could play a part in Tottenham’s clash against Arsenal on Sunday.

The Croat has arrived at Spurs in the midst of a major injury crisis, with the Lilywhites having double-digit absentees at the moment.

There was one possible boost this week as Richarlison was spotted in training at Hotspur Way after missing more than a month of action.

On Friday, Tudor revealed that Dominic Solanke has been suffering from a sore throat, and the Croat has now revealed whether the striker could be involved against Arsenal.

Dominic Solanke will play a part for Tottenham against Arsenal

Tudor has revealed that the England international has taken some antibiotics to remedy the issue and will be available to play on Sunday.

He also confirmed that Richarlison is available for selection but revealed that Pedro Porro is only expected back next week.

Tudor said (via Football.London): “[Dominic Solanke] had some problems during the week with his throat. He has taken some antibiotics, but he’ll be available for the game. Richy is back. Tel was there. Others you already know. [Porro] no. Next week.”

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Tudor is confident Spurs have the resources to challenge Arsenal

Tudor has admitted that he has been able to work with just 13 first-team players this week in the lead-up to Sunday’s derby.

However, the Spurs interim boss believes that Tottenham have enough to challenge Arsenal despite all their injuries.

Spurs fans will be hoping that the 47-year-old’s belief has rubbed off on the squad and they can pull a result out of the bag against the league leaders.

Mikel Arteta has made a bullish statement about the Arsenal players ahead of their showdown with Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.

While the North London derby may have been chalked off as an easy win for the Gunners a couple of weeks ago, things have changed over the past few days.

There has been a managerial change at Tottenham Hotspur, with Igor Tudor now attempting to inject energy into a squad that appeared to be lacking confidence under Thomas Frank.

Additionally, Arsenal threw away a two-goal lead mid-week against Wolves, demonstrating that they are far from invincible.

Mikel Areta says Arsenal players have reacted tremendously ahead of Tottenham showdown

Having been held to a draw by Wolves, the pressure is now mounting on Arsenal, who know that they cannot slip up on Sunday, with Man City breathing down their necks.

However, Arteta has now revealed that rather than feeling deflated at their draw at Molineux Stadium, his players have reacted really well and are determined to put things right in the North London derby.

Ahead of the clash against Tottenham, the Spaniard said (via Sky Sports): “What I have seen is a tremendous reaction again, and I am not surprised at all. But this is football, and that is the beauty of football. That was a chapter. We have a long season, and chapter 27 says we drew against Wolves in this manner.

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“What I am interested in is the next one. What is this team made of? What do we do about this, and how we write our own destiny from here and going forward?

“That’s it. You have to react to it because life moves on and as unfortunate as it was, there is nothing we can do. However, what we can do a lot about is what happens next.”

Arteta insists Gunners cannot wait to play Spurs

The feeling ahead of the North London derby is always different to other games, irrespective of where the two sides are in the table.

Arteta admits that his side want to use that excitement to showcase their best and that they cannot wait to run out onto the field at N17.

He added: “It’s the one that is next, and it is one we cannot wait to play. We’d all love to play the game today to get that feeling we have in our tummies and use it in the right way. We have to show it on Sunday.”

Johan Lange has reflected on Tottenham’s decision to sack Thomas Frank, as well as his own role in the wrong calls that have been made at Spurs.

Barring the first few games of the season, it never looked like a happy marriage between Frank and Tottenham.

The club eventually decided to put the Dane out of his misery last week, with the 52-year-old leaving Spurs just five points off the relegation zone.

Many Tottenham fans felt that the club should have sacked Frank a lot sooner, and they persisted with him too long amidst abject performances.

Johan Lange says Tottenham wanted to give Thomas Frank every chance to succeed

The Tottenham sporting director reveals that the decision to ultimately call time on the Frank experiment was made at the boardroom level.

He also stood behind the decision to appoint Frank in the first place, insisting that due diligence was done and that the club wanted to give the former Brentford boss an opportunity to get things right.

When asked about the decision to sack Frank, Johan Lange said (via Football.London): “We as the leaders constantly evaluate performances, evaluate results and after the Newcastle game, we made the decision. Ultimately, it was a board decision but we made the decision and that was why we decided it was the right time to change.”

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When asked if the way things unfolded has shaken the foundations of how the managerial hiring decision was made, he responded: “No, I think when you make a decision, you’re always making the decision that you’re confident is the right one at the time. We evaluated, and we wanted to give Thomas every opportunity to succeed. But ultimately, it’s also our responsibility to make the decisions, and we came to that point where we saw the performances, the results, and then you come to that decision.”

Lange accepts his own responsibility for his role in Spurs’ mistakes

The club’s decision to hire Frank, persist with him for so long, and some of their transfer failings, have led to some supporters losing faith in those calling the shots at the top.

Lange insisted that the pressure and expectations from the supporters are part of working at a club like Tottenham and accepted blame for some of his mistakes.

When asked about the missteps the club have taken, he responded: “I, of course, accept my responsibility at all times, but every decision that I make and we have made has been in the best interests of the club.

“I think when you work for a big club like Tottenham, then pressure, or whatever you want to call it, is part of it. I’m sitting here today because I want to take responsibility for the club, everything that comes into football. Part of being here is expectations. That is part of why it’s fantastic to be here because if you are working for a big club there are big expectations, but also big opportunities and big possibilities.

“If you work for a very small club, if you work for a club with less fans, then maybe there’s less pressure or expectation. I think we are a big club and we work with high expectations and that is why I personally, really, really love working here because of the expectations.”