Tottenham Hotspur have added Marco Rose and Edin Terzic to their list of candidates to succeed Thomas Frank but have left the door open for Mauricio Pochettino to make an emotional return to the club in the summer.
Having weighed up their options, Spurs have decided to concentrate their efforts on appointing an interim head coach until the summer, when they will seek a permanent successor to Frank. As well as Rose and Terzic, reports in Italy have claimed Tottenham have made contact with former Juventus manager Igor Tudor.
That would seemingly rule out an immediate move for Roberto De Zerbi, Robbie Keane or Pochettino, but it keeps a Pochettino to return on the table after he has taken charge of the United States national team at the World Cup this summer.
Tottenham have now started to interview candidates and hold formal discussions with agents for the interim post, following the dismissal of Frank, with the club confident of having a new man in place for when the players return to training on Monday.
The plan is for Spurs to appoint an experienced head coach who has a track record of going into clubs and making an impact. If successful, the interim will then be a candidate for the permanent role in the summer.
Tottenham’s decision to wait until the summer to make an appointment will excite supporters who want Pochettino to return to the club and chanted his name in the defeat to Newcastle United.
Pochettino revealed he is currently in London by posting a picture of himself on Instagram at a restaurant with a member of his coaching staff, Toni Jiménez.
Rose, who has been installed as the new favourite for the Spurs post with some bookies, has been out of work since being sacked by RB Leipzig last year, while Terzic has not managed a club since leaving Borussia Dortmund in June 2024. Tudor is also available.
It is claimed that Rose wants to resume his coaching career in England, while Terzic would be interested in the Spurs post and turned down the chance to manage several clubs in Europe, including Monaco, to hold out for a Premier League job. He also has interest from La Liga for the summer.
Telegraph Sport reported on Thursday that Keane would only be interested in returning to the club in a permanent capacity, while De Zerbi may be mindful of the fact that the Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool jobs could become available in the summer.
John Heitinga, who was appointed to Tottenham’s backroom staff in January, is not thought to be in the frame for the interim post, despite taking caretaker charge of Ajax in January 2023. He only lasted five months of a second spell in charge in 2025, this time as permanent head coach.