Tottenham to prioritise Premier League survival over Champions League, says Igor Tudor
tottenham will prioritise securing Premier League survival over progressing in the Champions League, interim manager Igor Tudor said ahead of the last-16 first leg away to Atletico Madrid. Tudor inherits a side that conceded nine goals in his first three matches and sits one point above the relegation zone after the previous coach was dismissed. The tie in Madrid on 10 March 2026 was described by Tudor as a “beautiful game, ” but he insisted the domestic fight remains the club’s public priority.
Tottenham’s gamble: Premier League over Europe
Tudor made a blunt assessment of priorities: the immediate aim is to arrest a sliding domestic form and secure top-flight status. The club’s poor run domestically prompted the previous manager’s exit last month, and three defeats under Tudor have left the team precariously placed in the table. Tudor said, “Our first aim is the Premier League – this is something that needs to be said publicly. ” He added that Champions League ties are “something extra, ” yet still a competition the squad wants to progress in.
The interim coach framed the Madrid trip as both a competitive test and a chance to reset the team’s mentality. He noted that the Champions League presents “a totally different mentality aspect” that could expose problems and help the squad “switch the right way. ” Tudor also stressed the importance of returning personnel, saying: “Players are coming back, that’s important, ” and highlighting the role of restored leaders in stabilising results.
Team news and confirmed line-up
Tudor made four changes for the European clash and named an XI that included several notable returns. Antonin Kinsky starts in goal on his debut in the Champions League proper. Cristian Romero returns from suspension and captains the side at centre-back, while Djed Spence is back in the starting set-up at left wing-back. Richarlison, used from the bench in Tudor’s opening fixtures, was named to start, replacing Dominic Solanke.
The confirmed starting XI listed: Kinsky, Danso, Richarlison, Tel, Gray, Romero (c), Pedro Porro, Spence, Sarr, van de Ven, Kolo Muani. Named substitutes include Vicario, Austin, Dragusin, Palhinha, Xavi, Solanke, Gallagher, Olusesi and Rowswell. Radu Dragusin returned to the matchday squad and took a place on the bench after missing the previous fixture through a minor injury.
Reactions and what’s next
Players and staff framed the tie as an opportunity. Pedro Porro, full-back for the club, expressed support for the interim coach, saying the team is “100% on the right path” and that his reaction to a recent substitution was not aimed at the coach. Tudor acknowledged that his position is under discussion given recent results but voiced confidence in the group’s ability to respond with leaders back in place, singling out Romero as the defensive backbone expected to lift the team.
What comes next is clear: a high-stakes trip to Madrid for the Champions League first leg, followed by an immediate return to the gruelling Premier League battle Tudor has publicly prioritised. The manager has cast the European tie as both an end in itself and a testing ground for solutions he hopes to carry back into league survival efforts. The spotlight on tottenham’s domestic fate will only intensify regardless of the result in Spain, and Tudor has signalled that arresting the slide remains the club’s paramount objective.
