Liverpool vs Spurs | Every word of Igor Tudor’s pre-match press conference

Igor Tudor spoke to the media on Friday afternoon to preview Sunday’s trip to Liverpool in the Premier League.

Here’s what he had to say...

How difficult has this week been?

Igor: “Tough, for sure, not just because of last game, but because of the period we are passing, so not an easy situation, not an easy moment and from other side a big challenge to change things. Like everything in life, you can choose how to see the situation. So, you can stay and cry or you can fight. You can be the victim or you can say I can change something. This is the message I want to start and what I communicated to the players, because everyone is speaking, everyone has opinions and life is always, how do you say it, the bottle is always half empty or half full. Here there is nothing full, there is a lot of empty things but difficult moments don’t last forever. It will pass and I believe the players who will take this as a challenge, as an opportunity, will stand up with the courage to change things and after this period they will become better people and better players. So, in tough moments it’s always about that, it’s always about us. In the last period, a lot of things about what is the club, the problems, no one can do nothing and this like victim-ism, like we were victims. I said this morning to the players totally opposite things. We are the team and we are the staff. It’s all about us. All the bullsh**, all the other things are bullsh** and sorry to use this word, but it’s on us.”

Are the players taking this on board?

Igor: “You know, I do every day this work, psychology work. It is important also to give courage to the team-mates. Some of them they cannot manage, for sure. Some, you arrive and you can help them. My goal is to find if I can help to do 18 players out of 20, 15? I don't know how much? Sometimes you cannot do anything, but most of the time you can do even small changes, small help, you know, you can do it, but also it's what I always like to say to the players, don't be a victim. Don't think it's not about me. That can be the problem more than all these things about Tottenham and the club, you know, like black magic and this other bullsh**, you know, so this is about what I want to send a message. To everyone involved with this club. The ownership is the ownership. The club is there. The owner is the owner. They are always right and they do what they want with the club. It is always like that but the problems are of everyone, not just the players or the coach or the staff, it is everyone’s problem.”

Have you spoken to the bosses at the club recently?

Igor: “I speak with the director and Vinai everyday. We are speaking and sharing opinions. Everyone is disappointed, this is for sure. The players care, if you don’t care, you don’t struggle, then you are not with a lack of confidence if you don’t care. You care and then it happens that maybe some situations there is a lack of confidence in situations on the pitch that usually don’t happen. That can also be an explanation.”

How concerned are you about the mental health of the squad after some of their recent comments?

Igor: “We are trying to help them and provide everything we can from the club. Like I was speaking about before, there is the one point, the other point – and this is part of the job that we are paid for – is to be under stress and choose what you want to do. As I said at the start, the same answer I gave to your colleague I can use it here, so it’s not easy but all good things are not easy. The message in the training (sessions) is the same. Always when we do some difficult things that is the message. The right and the best things are not easy.”

Will you have any hesitation about playing Antonin Kinsky again this season?

Igor: “No, of course he will play for sure. He came back the day after and was very good in training, very positive. Nothing else. So this situation happened, very rare, probably the first and last time in my life and the life of a lot of people but this can happen. It is the same message I said before. You can go out from the situation as a victim. ‘Poor me what happened.’ Everybody sending a message of help and I am with you – this is nice also – but sometimes in 2025 this social media life became like it is more important what you say than what you do. But as I said before, this is normal, this is a mistake that will happen. For sure in his career there will be other mistakes but he has strength and quality and in front of him is a very good career.”

Are Palhinha and Romero back for the Liverpool game?

Igor: “No, no, no, they are out. Micky is also out, Bissouma is out, for the muscles, Conor has some fever but probably will be in. So, we have again a lot of problems to make first 11. This is how it is in this club. this happens all the time. We start to build something, then happens something, or a red card, or last game, or three or four injuries. This is very rare that happens in my career. I never see these situations. Every game, missing two players. The next game and a red card. It's very rare, very unusual, but we need to accept this and try to change the things you can change. On these things you cannot do anything.”

Who is finding the current situation most difficult?

Igor: “Everyone. Everyone finds it difficult, if you want to find it difficult, and challenging if you want to find challenges. So, to give measures, how much is one or two or three, that’s not the point. The situation, how is it? You need to see how you will look on this situation. Like in life, you can be happy with small things, or you can be unhappy and have almost everything. So, it's not about that. Life is about what is enough for you. You choose that. Football is also part of the life. So how you will see the situation, you choose.”

Which people can you lean on within the club?

Igor: “We are everyone together. I don’t see any issues in that direction you go. We are everyone together. We speak, we work, we try to change things. Everything is the things we are doing, doing in the right way.”

Do Palhinha and Romero have concussion and if it is, can they come back for the Nottingham Forest game?

Igor: “I don't know how much (they will be out). I think they will be back for sure for Nottingham Forest, maybe even for the Champions League. I don’t know exactly. They probably will be back.”

Any sign of any of the longer-term absentees returning?

Igor: “Destiny is almost back. That's all.”

For Nottingham Forest?

Igor: “Destiny? Yeah, for sure.”

Has there been any progress on getting Ivan Javorcic in as part of your coaching staff?

Igor: “No, no. He's missing, but it's just how it is, because you need to be patient. You need to accept. Accept the things.”

What have you made of Archie Gray?

Igor: “That's the problem. He needs to, every game, change the position, tomorrow again. Four games here, four positions for Archie Gray. He's an amazing player, but that's been that. Something's wrong. Beautiful guy, beautiful player. I didn't know him before so much, so from inside, he has my big respect.”

Was Vicario dropped for Atletico Madrid in midweek, or was it just rotation?

Igor: “So I can explain that situation, what was the idea. The idea was to make (Kinsky) play, because first of all, he's a good goalkeeper, and seeing the situation and the moment we are, for a long period, to give some freshness on the ball, even in a different competition. So it was the idea at the start, but not after what happened, you think it was the right thing to do. Before, it was the right thing to do. Then what happened, happened, then of course it's a little bit different.”

Do you expect Vicario to come back in for Liverpool?

Igor: “He’s good, he’s good. He will be in the goal.”

Do you still feel that you’re the best man to get the club out of this situation?

Igor: “It's not a topic that I’m thinking about.”