Article by Daniel Scorpie – Published Wednesday, March 11, 2026, 10:16 a.m. / Updated Wednesday, March 11, 2026 10:18 a.m.
Tottenham broke several records in the disaster suffered in Madrid, 2-5 with Atletico, in the round of 16 of the Champions League. The English press and the London fans claim that the manager Igor Tudor whispered in the ear of Cuti Romero to remove Antonin Kinsky, who had stunningly missed two of the three goals conceded in the first quarter of an hour of the game at the “Metropolitano”.
Tottenham have greatly compromised their chances of qualifying for the quarter-finals of the Champions League after a disastrous start to the match in Madrid.
Unforgivable errors by the (competition debutant) goalkeeper who slipped up in two laughable stunts saw Spurs break the Champions League record for the shortest amount of time they conceded three goals (9 minutes). And to be the first club in history (faster than Dinamo Zagreb against Bayern), with four conceded in a first half!
Tudor made incoherent decisions. After choosing Kinsky to defend, he took him out and did not empathize with the Czech until after the match!
Igor Tudor couldn't stand it anymore and replaced Antonin Kinsky, bought in 2025 for 16.5 million euros from Slavia Prague. And this after, before the match, he had declared that the 22-year-old Czech international, who had not played for more than four months, is the right choice, considering the mistakes of the starter Guglielmo Vicario in the derby with Crystal Palace.
Igor Tudor's figure says a lot / Photo: Imago
It was something incredible. Toni is a good goalkeeper, but unfortunately there were two big errors in a very important match. The start of the match was too much for us, a fragile, weak team. It's the first time in my 15-year career, so I can tell you that I'm focused on solving the problem, as are the players. We have to stay positive
– Igor Tudorthe manager of Tottenham
He traded Kinsky for Vicario, who consoled the Czech, as they did with the goalkeeper who left the field tears him three of the second-half substitutes, Solanke, Gallagher and Palhinha. Something that the Croatian coach didn't do either, whom Cuti Romero would have determined to remove Antonin!
The captain was seen whispering something in the Spurs manager's ear immediately after Julian Alvarez's 3-0 goal! Fans concluded that the order was carried out by the Croatian, accused of lack of empathy with Kinsky then, during the match.
Tudor did not accept this hypothesis and only after the game did he try to defend the gafeur goalkeeper: “He's sorry, but the team is with him. So am I. We're all with him, because it's never about one player.”
Joe Hart: “Tudor acted like it wasn't the 17th minute, when you don't even see that at Sunday League level!”
Former goalkeepers, now TV analysts, attacked the Croatian who became the first manager in Tottenham's history to start with four defeats and under whose command Spurs reached the premiership after six consecutive defeats!
Former Spurs goalkeeper Joe Hart was outraged: “Igor Tudor doesn't even console Kinsky. If that's player management, I'm stunned. Tudor acted like it wasn't the 17th minute, when you don't even see it in the Sunday League. What a state this club has come to!”.
And Paul Robinson, ex-keeper of the London team, adds: “It will be a terrible blow to Kinsky. It broke my heart to see him cry.
It's selfishness on the part of the manager. He took it out, clearly, out of an instinct for self-preservation and without any consideration for the young goalkeeper.”
Kin Hell (no – Kinsky hell). The goalkeeper calamity was removed after the horrible 17-minute cok-up show. The unsightly Czech committed two catastrophic blunders in the drama experienced by Spurs in the round of 16 of the Champions League
– The SunEnglish daily
The supporters of Spus did not spare Micky van de Ven either. Not only for the blunder from the goal scored by Griezmann, after the Dutch stopper had also slipped comically, but especially for the phase in which he came in very risky and hard on Hancko, at the edge of the large box.
Micky van de Ven's reckless entry on David Hancko / Photo: Facebook
“Van de Ven has a low IQ. He's trying to sabotage the team on purpose! Is he looking to get another red card?”
He escaped without any disciplinary sanction, referee Gozubuyuk (also from the Netherlands!) not even blowing a foul, in a phase that deserved a VAR review and possibly even a red card. Supporters of the Londoners accused him, without management, on social networks.
This after Van de Ven had left his ten-man team against Crystal Palace in the 38th minute last Thursday, at 1-0 for Spurs! One fan commented: “The ref took pity on him, it was definitely a red card for Micky.”
A second said: “Van de Ven has a low IQ. He's trying to sabotage on purpose! Is he looking to get another red card?” The third added: “Van de Ven is doing it on purpose. He can't play. He should be sent off again!”
And another concluded: “Micky van de Ven got a red card on purpose against Palace and he did his best to get sent off again tonight. I don't want to see him play for us again!”
