Who Is Igor Tudor? Breaking Down His Tactical Philosophy

Juventus did not enjoy a brilliant 2024-25 season, at least till the business end approached, as under manager Thiago Motta, the Bianconeri bowed out of the UEFA Champions League in the qualification for the round of 16, suffered defeat in the Coppa Italia quarterfinals and Supercoppa Italiana semi-finals. Even in the Serie A, they stood fifth, with thirteen draws and three losses and a win-rate of 45%.

A change was needed, and the board did not shy away from hiring Igor Tudor as their new manager. After Tudor took charge, Juventus ended the Serie A on the fourth position, securing a spot in the Champions League next term. And as a result, the Croatian, who has donned the Juventus shirt as a player and an assistant coach, has now been handed a fresh contract, which secures his tenure at the club until 2027.

Igor Tudor Tactics and Style of Play

After Thiago Motta left, Juventus were left broken, both tactically and mentally, and Tudor had to fix both. Although he didn’t win any accolades, the FIFA Club World Cup offers him the opportunity to showcase his brilliance to the Bianconeri faithful. Igor Tudor tactics are a bit different from others. The Croatian’s game model has it all, be it overloading while attacking, launching aggressive transitions during attack, or even making small tweaks in the positions to dictate the play.

Igor Tudor Formation

Let’s take a look at Igor Tudor formation. He plays a 3-4-2-1 at Juventus, a formation which offers strength in both wings and central areas. He has a three-man backline, which shifts to a five-man backline when the wingbacks fall back. In the midfield, he has an anchorman, who plays a dual yet complex role, and two wingers up front, who often shift into central areas. Oh yes, a striker who acts as another anchorman.

• Three-man backline: Tudor implements a three-man defensive third, which comprises three sturdy defenders. However, while build-up he makes a midfielder fall back alongside one defender and sends the other two wider, to escalate the ball circulation.
• A four-man midfield: The midfield has two wide midfielders and two central midfielders, one of whom is Manuel Locatelli, who falls back in the defence to create a 2-3-2 shape during build-up.
• A top attacking third: His attacking department usually consisted of Kenan Yildiz and Francesco Conceicao, who are exceptional wingers, and Dusan Vlahovic, who falls back to receive the long goal-kicks and acts as an anchorman in attack.

Key Tactical Traits

• Creating shapes: While building from their half, Tudor makes his team look like a 2-3-2 with Locatelli falling deep with one centre-back and the other two defenders moving wide to make a three-man midfield with the other midfielder.
• Focus on aggressive transitions: Juventus, under Igor Tudor, have been decent in their offensive transitions, launching quick counter-attacks to exploit the opponent.
• High line in opposition half: While attacking, Juventus are often seen forming a 3-5 formation in the opposition half. This is almost similar to the 2-5 formation which Roberto Mancini deployed at the Italy national team during the Euro Cup 2020. This gives more numbers in attack and enables swift combinations.
• Pressing: Tudor wants his team to press high up the pitch, since in doing that they can recollect the ball closer to the opposition goal. The man-marking is tight and practiced in such a way that the opposition is forced to go long and avoid short passes.

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Igor Tudor Trophies and Achievements

The 47-year-old has won only one trophy so far, which came back in the 2012-13 season at HNK Hajduk Split, in the form of the Croatian Cup. He will look to add more laurels under his tenure and will surely look to give Juventus a trophy in the coming seasons.

Club	Trophy	Year
HNK Hajduk Split	Croatian Cup	2012-13

Is Igor Tudor the Perfect Fit for Juventus?

Juventus are going through a restructuring phase with changes in the hierarchy. They recently hired Damine Comolli as their general manager and have promoted former player Giorgio Chiellini to the director of football strategy. They are also expected to hire a new sporting director and a technical director. Amidst such an overhaul, the management decided to stick with Igor Tudor, who showed immense promise during his small stint at the club. This is proof enough to suggest he is deemed as the perfect fit!

How Igor Tudor tactics could work?

• Keeping the same core: Tudor’s strategy was successful last term, but Juventus need to make sure they continue with the same nucleus this season too. Heavy changes in the contingent will slow down the progress.
• Adding more creativity: Juventus need to add more creativity in midfield in order to create more chances. Last season, they scored 58 goals, 21 less than Inter Milan who netted 79, the highest.

Challenges Ahead

• High expectations: Juventus will be playing in the Club World Cup in a few days and post that they will start their Serie A campaign, which will be played simultaneously alongside the Champions League and other domestic cup competitions. Tudor will have to assemble more players who can adapt to his style of play to ensure that everyone gets proper rest throughout the season. The expectations will be high; hence they need to deliver too!
• New signings: While Randal Kolo Muani has agreed to stay for one more loan spell at the Bianconeri, the club should consider signing a top-class striker in case Vlahovic leaves. The Serbian was linked to a few clubs a few months back; however, there is no proper movement for the striker in the market now. Should he leave, Juventus should bag in a poacher, perhaps someone like Benjamin Sesko or Arnaud Kalimuendo, who scored 17 goals in Ligue 1 for Rennes last season.

How could Juventus line up under Igor Tudor?

Player Roles Explained:

• Goalkeeper: Juventus would need a new goalkeeper since Michele Di Gregorio will return to Monza once his loan term concludes at the end of June 2025. Maybe someone young like Zion Suzuki from Parma or someone experienced and old like Marc-Andre Ter Stegen, who will probably leave Barcelona this summer.
• Centre-backs: The Bianconeri should consider signing players like Renato Veiga and Pierre Kalulu on permanent contracts from Chelsea and AC Milan, respectively. Both these defenders performed extremely well, with Veiga even winning the UEFA Nations League with Portugal. Alberto Costa or Bremer could act as the other centre-back alongside these two.
• Wing-backs: Andrea Cambiaso and Nicolo Savona could be great wing-back options, in case Costa is deployed in the three-man backline.
• Midfield: Skipper Manuel Locatelli is the vital cog in this midfield with Khephren Thuram steady enough to solidify the region this season too.
• Forwards: Two top-notch players like Kenan Yildiz and Fancesco Conceicao, along with Nico Gonzalez, form the perfect trio to supplement Dusan Vlahovic up front.

Verdict

Igor Tudor has shown glimpses of his efficiency and is expected to lead Juventus to success this season. Although they will face stern competition from Antonio Conte’s Napoli and Cristian Chivu’s Inter, the Bianconeri will be one of the favorites to win the Serie A next season. Speaking of continental glory, it will be difficult, considering the new format of the Champions League, but the prime focus should be to build a squad with proper investment so that it yields fruit in the future.

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