Tottenham Hotspur have appointed Igor Tudor as interim manager following the Premier League club's sacking of Thomas Frank.
Tudor – a former coach at the likes of Galatasaray, Juventus and Marseille – will take charge until the end of the season, subject to a work permit being completed.
A statement on Spurs' website said Tudor's mandate was to “bring organisation, intensity and competitive edge to the squad at a decisive stage of the campaign” and move the North London Club up the league table.
Frank was relieved of his duties last week following the 2-1 home defeat by Newcastle United which leaves Tottenham 16th in the table, five points above the relegation zone.
But the Danish manager had secured Spurs' place in the Uefa Champions League last-16 after finishing fourth in the group phase which saw them lose just once in eight games.
Croatian coach Tudor's first game in charge sees Spurs take on North London rivals and table-toppers Arsenal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on February 22.
They have no match this weekend as Spurs were knocked out of the FA Cup in the third round by Aston Villa last month.
“It is an honour to join this Club at an important moment,” said Tudor on the club's website.
“I understand the responsibility I have been handed and my focus is clear. To bring greater consistency to our performances and compete with conviction in every match.
“There is strong quality in this playing squad, and my job is to organise it, energise it and improve our results quickly.”
Tudor's last job saw him sacked by Italian side Juventus in October after just seven months in the job, following an eight-game winless run.
The 47-year-old had guided Juventus – where he made 174 appearances as a defender during his playing career – to a fourth-place finish last season and secured Champions League qualification. But Juve saw a dramatic downturn in form this campaign and he left with the Old Lady eighth in Serie A.
Tudor's managerial career has seen him work for clubs in Croatia, Greece, Turkey, Italy and France but never in England. Tudor has won one major trophy in his coaching career – the Croatian Cup while at Hadjuk Split.
On the appointment, Sporting Director Johan Lange said: “Igor brings clarity, intensity and experience of stepping into challenging moments and producing impact.
“Our objective is straightforward – to stabilise performances, maximise the quality within the squad and compete strongly in the Premier League and Champions League.”
For the derby clash next weekend, Tudor will be missing up to 12 players, including suspended captain Cristian Romero, while key attackers Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison are long-term injury absentees.
Former Brentford manager Frank's unhappy reign was ended after just eight months with Spurs having gone eight premier League games without victory – their worst run since October 2008.
They had won just two of their past 17 league matches, picking up 12 points in that time, dragging them into a relegation battle and having long lost the backing of Spurs supporters.
When he criticised Spurs fans in late November after another home loss to Fulham, patience was already wearing thin and “boring, boring Tottenham” chants during a drab stalemate at Brentford were the beginning of the end.
Frank insisted after the defeat to Newcastle that he remained “1,000 per cent” certain he was the right man for the job and claimed to be “convinced” that he would be in charge of the visit of Arsenal.
However, a fifth loss in nine matches and the latest abject display booed by home supporters at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium forced the Spurs board into action with a recognition Frank's position had become untenable.
“Throughout his time at the club, Thomas has conducted himself with unwavering commitment, giving everything in his efforts to move the club forward,” the club said in a statement.
“We would like to thank him for his contribution and wish him every success in the future.”
Frank had taken over from Ange Postecoglou who had been sacked at the end of last season despite guiding Spurs to victory in the Europa League final by beating Manchester United in Bilbao, ending a 17-year wait for a major trophy.
But it was Spurs' league form that cost the Australian his job after Spurs ended the campaign one place outside the bottom three, after losing 22 of their 38 matches in what was their lowest top-flight finish since being relegated in 1977.
