Former Everton star John Heitinga only joined Tottenham Hotspur earlier this year, but the Dutchman opted to move on immediately after Thomas Frank was sacked and Igor Tudor was appointed.
Heitinga leaves Spurs following former manager Thomas Frank (Image: Getty Images)
John Heitinga has turned down the chance to remain at Tottenham Hotspur following Thomas Frank’s sacking. The former Everton defender only arrived in north London as an assistant last month.
But with Spurs under the very real threat of relegation to the Championship, club leaders have opted for the dugout. Frank was replaced by Igor Tudor, who was handed the reins until the end of the season.
Surprisingly, Heitinga was also among those scheduled to leave, although there was a chance he might actually stay. “He was allowed to stay. They asked him to stay,” his agent Rob Jansen said.
“All the other coaches were Scandinavian, but they left. And three weeks later they said to him, ‘Stay here and see the end of the contract.’ That’s quite an accomplishment for someone who worked there for three weeks.
“But he said, ‘Yes, but now Igor Tudor, the Croatian coach, will come with his whole staff for three or four months.’ That guy is always hired on an emergency basis.”
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“It almost never works. Why they did that is a mystery to me. And then another coach comes in. So you can quit twice. That new coach also comes in with 45 people. He said, ‘This makes no sense, Rob. I have to quit now.’
Hansen also suggested that Spurs had plans for Heitinga to eventually earn a spot in the spotlight, but given his relatively recent arrival, it was decided that he would not be named yet.
“But there was a possibility that he could take over as manager. We had that in mind. But the club didn’t do it. Three weeks later they decided it was too soon.”
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Heitinga only joined Spurs in January (Image: Getty Images)
“So we have an interim manager. What is the management team, or in this case the owners, the Lewis family, doing?”
“They choose some kind of security. They hire someone with a proven track record, someone who is known as a crisis manager for a struggling club, for a few months. That will preserve their image. Unless they dare to keep Heitinga and the new staff, but they won’t.”
Tudor’s arrival at Spurs did not have the impact he had hoped for in the North London derby, as he lost 4-1 on his debut. The defeat leaves the club in 16th place in the Premier League, four points from the drop zone.
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