Tottenham goalkeeper Antonín Kinsky pulled after just 17 minutes following nightmare start against Atlético Madrid

Tottenham’s trip to Atlético Madrid got off to a shocking start. Manager Igor Tudor named a starting lineup packed with backups, likely with one eye on the Premier League, where Spurs sit just one point above the relegation zone. But the biggest surprise came in goal. Antonín Kinský started ahead of Guglielmo Vicario, making only his third appearance of the season after previously playing twice in domestic cup competition.

It turned into a night the young goalkeeper will want to forget.

A nightmare opening 15 minutes

Just five minutes in, Kinský slipped while attempting a goal kick and handed possession straight to Ademola Lookman. The forward quickly squared the ball to Julián Álvarez, who set up Marcos Llorente for the opener.

That mistake was only the beginning of Tottenham’s defensive collapse.

In the 13th minute, Micky van de Ven lost his footing as the last defender, leaving Antoine Griezmann one on one with the goalkeeper. The French star made it 2-0.

Things somehow got even worse moments later. Straight from the kickoff, a routine pass back to Kinský turned into another costly mistake. His attempted clearance was intercepted by Álvarez, who pounced to score Tottenham’s third goal conceded in just 14 minutes.

Tudor makes ruthless decision

Tudor had seen enough.

After just 17 minutes, the Tottenham coach made the brutal call to substitute his goalkeeper. Kinský walked straight down the tunnel, clearly devastated. It was one of those nights that can define, and sometimes haunt, a young player’s career.

Vicario came on in relief, but Tottenham’s defensive chaos continued.

A flicked ball toward their own goal forced the Italian keeper into an early save, but Atlético struck again moments later. Robin Le Normand made it 4-0 just four minutes after Vicario stepped onto the field.

“My heart is completely broken for him”

The decision immediately sparked disbelief among pundits watching the game in England.

“I’ve never seen anything like that on a football field,” former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson said during TNT Sports’ broadcast. “What a decision by Igor Tudor. Yes, the goalkeeper made mistakes, but that destroys Antonín Kinský’s confidence.”

Robinson struggled to process what he had just witnessed at Madrid’s Metropolitano Stadium. Starting the Czech goalkeeper had already raised eyebrows. Substituting him after only 17 minutes stunned just about everyone.

British television coverage described Kinský’s display as “a nightmare moment.” On CBS Sports Golazo, analysts called it a “disastrous error.”

But the harshest assessment came from former England goalkeeper Joe Hart, who spent the 2020-21 season with Tottenham.

“I’ve been trying to understand it,” Hart said on TNT Sports. “My heart is completely broken for him. He had 14 horrible minutes with the slip and the third goal. I don’t know what to say. I’m devastated for the kid. This Tottenham team looks completely lost.”

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