Premier League

Shortest Premier League managerial reigns: Igor Tudor joins unwanted list

Tudor has been fired by Spurs after just 38 days in charge, but his reign is not the shortest in Premier League history.

Jaimi Joy

Roddy Cons

Digital sports journalist

Scottish sports journalist and content creator. After running his own soccer-related projects, in 2022 he joined Diario AS, where he mainly reports on the biggest news from around Europe’s leading soccer clubs, Liga MX and MLS, and covers live games in a not-too-serious tone. Likes to mix things up by dipping into the world of American sports.

Update: Mar 29th, 2026 12:14 EDT

Igor Tudor has been fired as head coach of Tottenham Hotspur after just 38 days and seven games in charge, making his reign in north London the second-shortest of any Premier League manager in history in terms of time, excluding short-term caretakers.

Although Tudor was essentially an interim head coach, with his contract only running until the end of the season, he still arguably deserves his place on the list for not lasting that long.

Shortest Premier League managerial spells

Only Sam Allardyce has had a shorter stint at a club in the English top flight, spending just 30 days with Leeds United in May and June 2023. The veteran manager was appointed with four games left to play in the 2022-23 season but left Leeds by mutual agreement at the end of the campaign after failing to save them from relegation.

Tottenham Hotspur have parted ways with Igor Tudor after the 47-year-old failed to win any of his first five Premier League matches.

Tudor leaves Spurs with the club in 17th place in the Premier League, one point above the relegation zone. pic.twitter.com/Q1wr0ZeMz0
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) March 29, 2026

Tudor joins unwanted record list

Tudor now takes second place on an unwanted list ahead of Ange Postecoglou, who was ironically sacked as Spurs boss at the end of the 2024-25 campaign. The Australian then took over at Nottingham Forest in September but was shown the door 18 minutes after a 3-0 home defeat to Chelsea the following month. Postecoglu lasted 39 days.

The “top four” is completed by Les Reed, who managed Charlton Athletic for 40 days in November and December 2006. Until Allardyce left Leeds, Reed had held the record for more than 16 years.

Games managed: Frank de Boer enters the conversation

In terms of Premier League games managed, Allardyce is joined by Frank de Boer, who joined Crystal Palace in June 2017 but took charge of only four league fixtures before being fired. Palace became the first team in Premier League history to lose their first four Premier League games of the season without scoring a goal.

On this day in 2017, Palace sacked Frank de Boer after just 77 days in charge. 🇳🇱

In addition to being a dreadful manager, de Boer was a complete ego-maniac who treated the likes of Damien Delaney and Joel Ward appallingly. 👎

Good riddance! 👋 #CPFC pic.twitter.com/0jJmUFjGvi
— Team Called Palace (@TCPalacePod) September 11, 2024

Shortest Premier League managerians reigns

Sam Allardyce (Leeds United)

Time: 30 days
Premier League record: P4, W0, D1, L3
Overall record: P4, W0, D1, L3

Igor Tudor (Tottenham)

Time: 38 days
Premier League record: P5, W0, D1, L4
Overall record: P7, W1, D1, L5

Ange Postecoglu (Nottingham Forest)

Time: 39 days
Premier League record: P5, W0, D1, L4
Overall record: P8, W0, D2, L6

Les Reed (Charlton)

Time: 40 days
Premier League record: P7, W1, D1, L5
Overall record: P8, W1, D1, L6

Frank de Boer (Crystal Palace)

Time: 77 days

Premier League record: P4, W0, D0, L4

Overall record: P5, W1, D0, L4