Paolo Di Canio issues brutal 'ragtag' Tottenham verdict and says Igor Tudor 'asked for' problems

Paolo Di Canio has issued a passionate response to the events in Madrid on Tuesday night. Tottenham were thrashed 5-2 by Atletico Madrid, conceding four goals in the first half, with slips and mistakes aplenty.

Two of the first three goals were the fault of goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky, who was brought in to start this game, and after the third goal, Tudor decided to substitute Kinsky.

The young keeper was distraught, both by the events and the substitution, and he was marched down the tunnel by a Spurs coach. Vicario was brought on and conceded two himself, capping another disastrous night for Spurs.

Speaking to Corriere dello Sport after the game, Di Canio said: “I feel sorry for him (Tudor), perhaps he’s letting it all slide and doesn’t realise what the tabloids will write tomorrow. They’re mean, they’ll destroy him because when decisions like that are made, they’re incomprehensible.”

Despite those comments, Di Canio went on to criticise Tudor for his decision to start Kinsky. He added: “I don’t know if there was any problem with Vicario, and there were probably some clashes in the dressing room, but certainly not because the recent defeats are Vicario’s fault. He made some mistakes, but with a ragtag army up front that’s leaking from all sides.

“If you put a guy who’s made 17 appearances for Slavia Prague into such a delicate match and say he’s a good player with only six appearances, you asked for it and you destroyed him, even though it’s true that he could have done worse afterwards.”

Predicting that Tottenham will sack Tudor before the end of the season, Di Canio continued: “I often understand that Tudor is very tough, and I don’t know if he’ll pay for it in his career at the highest level. I really don’t think he’ll stay at Tottenham; they’ll go and get an English manager.”