“Everyone was against him” – Why Igor Tudor left Marseille & Lazio | OneFootball

Juventus are preparing to appoint Igor Tudor as caretaker coach, but the Croatian’s last two managerial experiences are raising a few concerns amongst the club’s supporters.

After a series of abysmal results in recent weeks, it appears that the sentence has finally been pronounced, with Thiago Motta identified as the main culprit. The manager is thus expected to be sacked over the next hours, thus making way for the Croatian who will try to restore the club’s hopes of securing Champions League football for next season.

The 46-year-old represented Juventus back in his heyday, and returned as an assistant manager for Andrea Pirlo in the 2020/21 season.

Afterwards, he enjoyed a solid campaign as Hellas Verona’s head coach which earned him a major step up to Olympique Marseille. But despite yielding solid results and finishing third in Ligue 1, Tudor still decided to leave the French club.

For his part, OM president Pablo Longaria reflected on the manager’s decision while acknowledging the difficulties he endured during his time at Velodrome.

“I wouldn’t wish what Igor suffered on my worst enemy,” said the former Juventus director via Calciomercato.

(Photo by Simone Arveda/Getty Images)

“He found himself at a club where everyone was against him, from the inside and outside. Many people organized themselves to increase the tension against him. People were asking for Jorge Sampaoli to return, while others wanted to give power to the players.

“There were requests to fan groups to oust the coach. When I returned to Marseille, I felt that pre-season was like the 37th matchday of the championship, you had to play your life. It’s not normal.”

Tudor then took over from Maurizio Sarri when the latter resigned from Lazio in March 2024, but he only lasted at the club for three months before agreeing on a mutual termination with Claudio Lotito.

The reason behind this decision was the Croatian’s desire to revamp the squad by replacing 10 players, while the club wasn’t willing to embark on a squad overhaul in this magnitude.