Igor Tudor facts for kids
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Tudor with Hajduk Split in 2014
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Igor Tudor | ||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 16 April 1978 | ||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Split, SR Croatia, Yugoslavia | ||||||||||||
| Height | 1.97 m | ||||||||||||
| Playing position | |||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | ||||||||||
| 1995–1998 | Hajduk Split | 58 | (3) | ||||||||||
| 1996 | → Trogir (loan) | 5 | (1) | ||||||||||
| 1998–2007 | Juventus | 110 | (15) | ||||||||||
| 2005–2006 | → Siena (loan) | 39 | (2) | ||||||||||
| 2007–2008 | Hajduk Split | 8 | (1) | ||||||||||
| Total | 221 | (22) | |||||||||||
| National team | |||||||||||||
| 1994 | Croatia U16 | 1 | (0) | ||||||||||
| 1993 | Croatia U17 | 4 | (0) | ||||||||||
| 1994–1995 | Croatia U18 | 3 | (0) | ||||||||||
| 1995 | Croatia U19 | 2 | (0) | ||||||||||
| 1994–2000 | Croatia U21 | 12 | (2) | ||||||||||
| 2001 | Croatia B | 1 | (1) | ||||||||||
| 1997–2006 | Croatia | 55 | (3) | ||||||||||
| Teams managed | |||||||||||||
| 2013–2015 | Hajduk Split | ||||||||||||
| 2015–2016 | PAOK | ||||||||||||
| 2016–2017 | Karabükspor | ||||||||||||
| 2017 | Galatasaray | ||||||||||||
| 2018 | Udinese | ||||||||||||
| 2019 | Udinese | ||||||||||||
| 2020 | Hajduk Split | ||||||||||||
| 2021–2022 | Hellas Verona | ||||||||||||
| 2022–2023 | Marseille | ||||||||||||
| 2024 | Lazio | ||||||||||||
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Honours
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Igor Tudor (born 16 April 1978) is a famous Croatian football player and manager. He played mainly as a defender or a defensive midfielder. Tudor spent most of his playing career at the Italian club Juventus, where he won many important trophies. He also played for the Croatia national team in major tournaments like the 1998 World Cup, where Croatia won the bronze medal. After retiring as a player at age 30 due to injuries, he became a successful football manager for several clubs across Europe.
Contents
Igor Tudor's Playing Career
Early Days at Hajduk Split
Igor Tudor began his professional football journey at Hajduk Split in Croatia in 1995. He quickly became known for his excellent skills and control of the ball, which was unusual for a defender. He scored three goals in 58 matches during his time there.
Becoming a Star at Juventus
In 1998, Tudor moved to the famous Italian club Juventus. He played there for eight years, showing great form despite some injuries. He was a key part of Juventus's defense, playing alongside other top players. In 2002, he was even named the Croatian Player of the Year.
During the 2001–02 season, Tudor helped Juventus win the Serie A title by scoring four important goals. He also scored a crucial goal in the 2002–03 Champions League that helped Juventus reach the final. Overall, he played over 150 games for Juventus and scored nearly 20 goals as a central defender.
After a serious injury in 2004, Tudor was loaned to Siena in 2005. He later returned to Juventus but struggled with injuries, which kept him from playing. His contract with Juventus ended in 2007. During his time at Juventus, he won two Serie A titles, two Italian Supercups, and a UEFA Intertoto Cup.
Return to Hajduk and Retirement
In 2007, Tudor returned to his first club, Hajduk Split. However, he continued to struggle with ankle injuries. On 22 July 2008, at just 30 years old, he announced his retirement from football because of his ongoing injury problems.
Igor Tudor's International Career
Igor Tudor played for the Croatia national team from 1997 to 2006. He also represented Croatia at various youth levels.
World Cup and Euro Appearances
Tudor made his debut for the senior national team in 1997. He was part of the Croatian squad that won the bronze medal at the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France. He played in three matches during that tournament.
He also played in the qualifying matches for the 2002 FIFA World Cup, but he missed the tournament itself due to an injury. At UEFA Euro 2004 in Portugal, he played in two group matches. He scored an own goal against France but later scored a goal for Croatia against England.
Tudor was also in Croatia's squad for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. He played in all three of Croatia's group matches. Croatia was eliminated after a draw with Australia. After this tournament, he stopped playing for the national team. In total, he played 55 games for Croatia and scored 3 goals.
Igor Tudor's Playing Style
Igor Tudor was known as one of Croatia's best defenders in his time. He was a tall, strong, and hard-working player who was excellent at winning headers. This made him a threat to score goals during corner kicks and free kicks.
He was also very good at marking opponents and tackling the ball. Tudor was smart tactically and could play in different defensive positions, including central defender and even defensive midfielder. He had surprisingly good technical skills and ball control for a player of his size. Sadly, his career was often affected by injuries.
Igor Tudor's Managerial Career
After retiring as a player, Igor Tudor decided to become a football manager.
First Steps at Hajduk Split
Tudor started his coaching career as an assistant manager at Hajduk Split in 2009. In December 2012, he became the manager of Hajduk's U-17 team. He even spent time at the Juventus Center to learn from famous coach Antonio Conte.
In April 2013, he was appointed as the main manager for Hajduk Split. He led the team to win the 2012–13 Croatian Cup in his first season. He resigned from Hajduk in February 2015.
Managing in Greece and Turkey
In June 2015, Tudor became the manager of PAOK in Greece. He stayed there for about eight months before being dismissed.
He then moved to Turkey, managing Karabükspor from 2016 to 2017. His good results there led him to become the manager of Galatasaray in February 2017. He was sacked by Galatasaray in December of the same year.
Coaching in Italy and France
Tudor returned to Italy in April 2018 to manage Udinese. He successfully saved the club from being relegated to Serie B. He left Udinese in June 2018 but returned for a second time in March 2019. After a series of poor results, he left Udinese again in November 2019.
In December 2019, Tudor returned to Hajduk Split for his second spell as manager. He resigned in August 2020 to join Andrea Pirlo's coaching staff as an assistant at Juventus. They were both sacked at the end of the season.
In September 2021, Tudor was appointed manager of Hellas Verona in Italy. He helped the team finish ninth in the league. He left the club in May 2022.
In July 2022, Tudor became the manager of Marseille in France. He led them to a third-place finish in Ligue 1, which meant they qualified for the 2023–24 UEFA Champions League. He announced his departure from Marseille in June 2023, saying he felt "tiredness" with the club.
His most recent role was as manager of Lazio in Italy, where he signed in March 2024. He resigned from this position in June 2024.
Igor Tudor's Coaching Style
Igor Tudor is known for his exciting and aggressive coaching style. He wants his teams to play with courage and high intensity, focusing on attacking rather than just defending. He once said, "I want people who come to the stadium to be entertained and not disappointed." This shows his desire for his teams to play attractive football.
Honours
Player
Juventus
- Serie A: 2001–02, 2002–03
- Serie B: 2006–07
- UEFA Intertoto Cup: 1999
- Coppa Italia runner-up: 2001–02, 2003–04
- UEFA Champions League runner-up: 2002–03
Croatia
- FIFA World Cup third place: 1998
Individual
- Croatian Footballer of the Year: 2001
Manager
Hajduk Split
- Croatian Cup: 2012–13
