A relatively quiet international break has generated some newsworthy tidbits. First there was Mohamed Salah announcing he will be leaving Liverpool in the summer. This was less than shocking given his poor relationship with Manager Arne Slot and his decreased productivity in a poor season for the Egyptian ace. Liverpool clearly recognized the lessened contribution Salah can make at this stage and some of the diva qualities that helped make Salah great are now irritating enough that Liverpool supporters are accepting of his imminent departure.
Some are even questioning the club’s decision to make the 34-year-old Salah a free agent without compensation, cancelling the final 12 months of his current contract and thus sacrificing a potential return. The move is an act of gratitude for Salah’s service to the club over nine years where he scored more than 250 goals and helped the club to a Champions League and two Premier League titles after his arrival from Roma. Salah’s marked decline this season is a bit shocking given that it was just a year ago that the Liverpool star scored not only the most goals in the Premier League but also led the league in assists, racking up an eye popping 47 goal involvements and leading Liverpool to the Premier League title.
That production has fallen off a cliff this season with Salah accumulating just 11 Premier League goal involvements after playing in 22 of 31 league matches for Liverpool to date. Despite the finishing fizzle, Salah will finish his Liverpool career as the club’s third greatest goal scorer and only Alan Shearer, Harry Kane and Wayne Rooney have scored more Premier League goals than the Liverpool star. Uncertainty surrounds where the 34-year-old Salah will begin his next chapter, potential stops including both the Saudi League and the American MLS.
Meanwhile, a far less accomplished figure has left the Premier League more abruptly. Igor Tudor is out as Tottenham Hotspur manager after a dismal 44 day run which put the club on the brink of relegation. The club had hesitated to pull the trigger due to the passing of Tudor’s father concurrent with Spurs’ devastating loss to relegation rival Nottingham Forest. The die was cast, however, and after a brief period of bereavement, Tudor was advised of his fate. We can confirm that it has been mutually agreed for Head Coach Igor Tudor to leave the Club with immediate effect.
Tomislav Rogic and Riccardo Ragnacci have also left their respective roles of Goalkeeping Coach and Physical Coach.
We thank Igor, Tomislav and Riccardo for their… pic.twitter.com/I6HUdLdewL
Tudor lost five of seven matches during his six-week Tottenham career, garnering just one point from five Premier League matches. With no Premier League experience and relatively little to recommend him from 10 prior managerial postings, Tudor was always an odd choice to replace Thomas Frank in a season that was already rapidly deteriorating. The club has now moved to correct that mistake by releasing Tudor but, in typical Spurs fashion, the next move on the chessboard did not seem to be firmly planned.
Wild speculation has pointed to as many as eight possible candidates to helm the sinking ship. Things seem to be pointing to Roberto De Zerbi, the former Brighton manager who parted ways with Marseilles in February after some notably poor results. His departure from Brighton in 2024 was rancorous with the outspoken Italian going public over his differences with Brighton owner Tony Bloom.
It would seem an odd match to insert the combustible De Zerbi into the relegation tumult and pair him with Spurs CEO Vinai Venkatesham who is understandably under fire even before suffering the potshots that De Zerbi will inevitably launch. Spurs supporters, meanwhile, have already thrown up red flags concerning De Zerbi’s support at Marseilles of Mason Greenwood, the former Manchester United player exiled from the Premier League after allegations of domestic violence. Spurs, and whoever their next manager is, return to the fray on April 12th at Sunderland.
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