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Who is Adolf 'Adi' Hutter?

The experienced head coach has previously had spells with Borussia Monchengladbach, Eintracht Frankfurt, Young Boys and Monaco, as new reports link him with the managerial position at Tottenham.

After ending his playing career back in 2007, Hutter has managed some high-profile European sides, but is still relatively unknown in England. FourFourTwo explains who he is and what he could potentially bring to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium...

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Who is Adi Hutter?

Hutter was born in Hohenems, Austria and began playing football for SCR Altach in his youth before moving to Grazer AK and LASK.

In 1993, he joined SV Austria Salzburg and won the Austrian Bundesliga in the 1993/94, 1994/95 and 1996/97 seasons. Hutter was also a runner-up in the 1993/94 UEFA Cup, with Salzburg losing 0–2 on aggregate against Inter.

When did Adi Hutter begin his managerial career?

Hanging up his boots after a final spell with Red Bull Salzburg's second team in 2007, he then went onto take over as manager, but first beginning as the assistant coach.

He then narrowly missed out on promotion with SCR Altach in the Austrian second tier on two occasions between 2009-2012, and departed before joining rivals SV Grodig, with whom he won the second division in 2012/13.

It was then in 2014/15 that he joined Red Bull Salzburg as their permanent boss, winning the Austrian Bundesliga and OFB Cup double. He departed in 2015, and thus his next move took him to Young Boys in Switzerland.

In 2017/18, he won the title with the Swiss outfit, a first win since the 1980s. His next step took him to Germany with Frankfurt, winning Bild's 'Coach of the Year' while Eintracht Frankfurt was voted as their 'Team of the Year' in 2019.

His side even took Chelsea all the way to penalties in the 2019 Europa League semi-finals.

Further spells with Borussia Mochengladbach and Monaco have brought little success, although he did lead the French side to a second-placed finish in Ligue 1 during the 2024/25 season.

He was sacked at Stade Louis II back in October 2025 and has been out of work since.

How do Hutter's teams like to set-up?

Hutter is known for favouring a 4-2-3-1 formation but does often utilise a 3-4-1-2 or a 3-4-2-1.

His sides are known for high-intensity pressing, utilising two number sixes and two number 10's to help his team dominate the middle of the pitch.

"When you have four players in the middle, I like it, when you have one player more in the centre," he told Coaches Voices when explaining his footballing philosophy.

"It is then not easy for them [when the player has the ball at the back], when they try to switch it to the other centre-back. Then, maybe the second one with the ball, pushes up to the number ten and then we have 3v2 in the midfield."

Among the myriad of issues that need sorting out at Tottenham Hotspur is the goalkeeping situation.

The club’s current No.1 Guglielmo Vicario arrived in a £17 million move from Empoli in the summer of 2023, but has been the subject of criticism this season and was dropped by interim boss Igor Tudor for the first leg of the club’s Champions League last-16 tie against Atletico Madrid earlier this month.

While that decision would backfire completely when Antonin Kinsky conceded three goals in the opening 15 minutes and was then hooked on 17 minutes, speculation over Vicario’s future remains.

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Tottenham linked with former Leeds ‘keeper

Amid Vicario’s inconsistent performances this season, the 29-year-old has been the subject of plenty of reports linking him with a return to Italy, with the likes of Juventus and, most recently, Inter being linked with the five-time Italy international.

Now, Spurs have been linked with another Serie A raid, as the club are said to have been monitoring a former Leeds United goalkeeper.

Elia Caprile signed for Leeds from Chievo as an 18-year-old in January 2020 and although he failed to make a senior appearance for the Whites, was a regular for the club’s under-23s side and featured on the first-team bench eight times.

He returned to Italy when he signed for Bari in the summer of 2023 and immediately began to impress in Serie B, earning him a move to Napoli 12 months later and seeing him break into the Italy U21 side.

The 24-year-old joined Cagliari last summer, where his performances this season have put him on the radar of Tottenham, who, according to journalist Nicolo Schira, have dispatched their scouts to monitor his progress.

Spurs’ Premier League rivals Aston Villa are also believed to have headed to Italy to watch him in action, amid long-term rumours over the future of Emi Martinez.

Caprile was recently called up by Italy boss Gennaro Gattuso for the Azzurri’s World Cup play-off squad, replacing Vicario, who will undergo hernia surgery over the international break, with the club stating he should return to action ‘within the next month’.

In FourFourTwo’s view, scouting goalkeepers is a wise move by Spurs. Like many of his team-mates, Vicario has endured a torrid season and it’s not hard to envisage his exit regardless of whether the club stays up or not.

Caprile, who is valued at €15 million by Transfermarkt, is one of Europe’s most promising young goalkeepers and the fact that he has experience of playing and living in England will also be another tick for any potential Premier League suitors.

The former Leeds man is under contract until 2029, having only moved clubs last summer, so he will not come cheap - meaning any potential move will entirely rest on what division Tottenham are playing in next season.

While the spotlight was on Wembley on Sunday afternoon for the Carabao Cup final as English football's first piece of major silverware was being handed out, it was also a huge weekend in the battle against the drop.

Freefalling Tottenham hosted fellow strugglers Nottingham Forest in a bona fide six-pointer, with Igor Tudor's side continuing their recent woeful form by surrendering 3-0 at home to Vitor Pereira's team.

Elsewhere, West Ham lost at Aston Villa, while Leeds United held Brentford to a 0-0 draw at Elland Road. So, where does this leave the relegation battle? Here's a look at the current relegation odds, as per William Hill (all odds correct at time of writing).

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Wolves - 1/200

Wolves were not in action this weekend, as their originally scheduled fixture against Arsenal had been pushed forward, due to the Gunners' involvement in the Carabao Cup final.

Rob Edwards's side scored a last-gasp equaliser in that game, one of several recent matches which has seen an upturn in form for the Premier League's basement dwellers.

But the Midlanders remain bottom of the league and are still 13 points off safety with just seven games to play, which is why the bookies have them as nailed-on to go down.

Burnley - 1/200

Also virtually certainties for the drop, as per the bookmakers, are Burnley, who sit three points ahead of Wolves on 20, but still ten points off safety.

Scott Parker's side have conceded a Premier League-high 61 goals this term, a far cry from last season's record-breaking defensive effort in the Championship, where they shipped just 16 goals.

Also priced at 1/200 to go down, the Clarets can now focus on replicating last year's defensive effort back in the second tier next season.

West Ham - EVENS

Now things get interesting. With the bottom two sides as good as condemned to the drop, it looks like there's one spot up for grabs.

West Ham currently sit in the final relegation spot, but are only a point behind their London rivals Tottenham, and as far as the bookies are concerned, the Hammers' prospects are a coin-flip at even money to go down.

Nuno Espirito Santo's side have only lost two of their last seven games and will be hoping to continue their recent momentum, which has seen them win away at Fulham and hold Manchester City to a draw.

Tottenham - 5/4

Now onto what is perhaps the story of the Premier League season, as what has been a flirtation with the lower-reaches of the table has become a full-on relegation battle against the drop for Tottenham.

Thomas Frank was given his marching orders after last month's defeat at home to Newcastle United, but things have only got worse, with the club having claimed just one point from the following five games after Igor Tudor was appointed interim boss.

Spurs are the only side without a Premier League win in 2026 and now sit just one point and one place above the drop zone. A major shift in momentum is needed if they are to avoid playing Championship football next term.

Nottingham Forest - 6/1

Nottingham Forest did their survival hopes no harm at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday afternoon when they saw off Spurs 3-0.

That win has seen them move up to 16th place, three points clear of the bottom three, a shift which is reflected in the bookies' odds of 6/1 for them to go down.

It's been a turbulent season at the City Ground, with Vitor Pereira their fourth manager of the campaign, so don't expect supporters to be resting easy just yet.

Leeds United - 13/2

Leeds United gained ground on relegation rivals this weekend following their goalless draw with Brentford.

Daniel Farke's side are four points ahead of the bottom three, with the bookies' price for relegation shifting up.

With fixtures still to come against Wolves, Burnley, Spurs and West Ham on the final day of the season, Leeds will have a significant say on what happens in the final weeks of the campaign.

Tottenham may be without first-choice stopper Guglielmo Vicario for a number of weeks between now and the end of the season.

Vicario is to undergo a hernia operation, according to reports in Italy, which will leave him sidelined for a couple of weeks. It is for this reason, they claim, he has been left out of Gennaro Gattuso's Azzurri squad this month.

As a result, Kinsky is set to reprise his role as Spurs custodian, and could do so as early as this weekend at home to Nottingham Forest.

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Vicario sidelined for weeks in relegation battle blow to Spurs

Spurs have likely timed the procedure for March's international break, allowing the Italian as much recovery time as possible without missing crucial Premier League fixtures.

Medical experts consider 'a full recovery and clearance for strenuous activities' from a hernia operation to be within the four-to-six week range, meaning Vicario could be out until late April or early May.

Kinsky's return to the lineup will be of some concern to Spurs supporters after the young goalkeeper's display versus Atletico Madrid in the Champions League last week.

The 23-year-old who signed from Czech club Sparta Prague last year, made his competition debut at the Wanda Metropolitano but was substituted during the first half having conceded three times.

Two of the Czech goalkeeper's concessions were a direct result of errors he had made on the ball.

Spurs boss Igor Tudor does also have fellow back-up stopper Brandon Austin at his disposal but it is not known whether the Croatian will trust in the 27-year-old given his limited senior experience.

Austin has made only three first-team appearances for Spurs, all of which came last season, and just one in the Premier League.

Tottenham appear to have turned a corner in the past week, drawing late on against Liverpool at Anfield before defeating Atletico in their Champions League round of 16 second leg.

Whilst Spurs ultimately went out on aggregate, their exploits in Europe were reason for encouragement heading into the final eight games of the season.

Chelsea are pursuing one of Europe's most exciting young players, as they look to improve their squad.

The Blues crashed out of Europe at the last-16 stage this week, with pressure now beginning to increase on new manager Liam Rosenior, following a honeymoon period ending with defeats in the last three matches in all competitions.

Now sitting sixth in the table, Chelsea are at risk of failing to qualify for the Champions League next season – and there could be a few more big moves this summer.

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Chelsea have submitted an offer for one of Europe's most exciting stars, as an agreement comes to light

While Chelsea have enjoyed significant investment over the past couple of transfer windows, there remains a lack of quality in certain areas of the pitch.

The West Londoners have struggled with defensive depth Levi Colwill was ruled out of the season with an anterior cruciate ligament injury – FourFourTwo understand it to be a cause of friction between the club's BlueCo owners and former manager Enzo Maresca – while the left-wing position has been a continual source of concern, with Alejandro Garnacho underwhelming and Jamie Gittens failing to hold down the spot permanently since his move from the Bundesliga.

Now, Cologne-based newspaper Kolnische Rundschau have reported that Chelsea have made an offer for Koln forward Said El Mala, with the teenager wanted by the likes of Bayern Munich.

Yesterday, German outlet BILD reported that Brighton & Hove Albion had an agreement in principle to sign El Mala, with Tottenham Hotspur also circling and the Seagulls wanting to tie up the move quickly ahead of rivals.

The 19-year-old has already played for Germany's national side under Julian Nagelsmann, and as FourFourTwo's Joe Donnohue noted in a report on the starlet for our Boy's A Bit Special series, “Directness is the name of the game with El Mala and you can expect to see a lot more of him on bigger European stages before long.”

Brighton are said to want the star for around £35 million, but with various reports coming out of Germany that Koln are angling for around £5m as a starting price, it's possible that there could be a bidding war for El Mala.

Former club Viktoria Koln hold a sell-on in the left-winger, and will profit from any sale.

While Chelsea have plenty of options in attack, Rosenior has favoured Cole Palmer attacking from the left flank on occasion since arriving at Stamford Bridge, with Garnacho failing to impress consistently.

There may well be big exits at the club this summer, meanwhile, with Enzo Fernandez linked with a move away.

Tottenham Hotspur’s aim over the next six weeks will be to ensure they are playing Premier League football next season and do not suffer what would be the most extraordinary relegations in recent history.

A point at champions Liverpool stopped the rot and ended a run of six straight defeat acorss all competitions, but under-fire interim boss Igor Tudor’s side are just one point clear of the drop zone.

But while the club battle for their Premier League future, transfer work must continue behind the scenes and reports in Italy suggest that Spurs have a significant interest in a young Italian talent.

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Tottenham linked with Italian international

According to a report from Italian outlet ASRomaLive, Spurs’ interest in Roma midfielder Niccolo Pusilli is growing following a reported €20million bid in January.

The Italian side rejected this approach, but the report adds that Spurs may look to revisit their pursuit of the 21-year-old in the summer.

One potential route to a deal could be for Spurs to propose a swap deal that involves Destiny Udogie, who has already been linked with a move back to Serie A earlier this year.

Pilsilli has enjoyed a recent upturn in fortunes after he initially struggled to break into Gian Piero Gasperini’s side, but has now played in Roma’s last 13 Serie A fixtures.

This had led to speculation that he could be set for a recall to Gennaro Gattuso’s Italy squad, ahead of the Azzurri’s play-off semi-final against Northern Ireland later this month.

Pilsilli made his Italy debut in a 2-2 draw against Belgium in October 2024 and this recent form has also seen Juventus monitor his progress, according to this report.

Should a Pilsilli-Udogie swap deal come to frution, it would be seen as a ‘double insult’ for Juve, given that they have also been linked with the Spurs defender in recent weeks.

In FourFourTwo’s view, speculation over a Spurs move for Pisilli - who is valued at €12million by Transfermarkt and is under contract until the summer of 2029 - would look to be somewhat premature at this stage.

Spurs are fairly well stocked when it comes to young, central midfield players and should they beat the drop this season, they will have bigger squad issues to fill and would be best served bringing in proven Premier League talents.

Tottenham Hotspur showed signs of life on Sunday afternoon when they were able to battle back and secure a last-gasp draw at Anfield against champions Liverpool.

Richarlison’s 90th-minute strike meant that Spurs ended a run of six straight losses in all competitions and secured interim coach Igor Tudor’s first point.

That meant Spurs were able to move one point clear of the relegation zone and while battling for their Premier League future will be the club’s priority in the coming weeks, Tudor’s side will bid to reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League on Wednesday night - although they have somewhat of a mountain to climb.

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Goalkeeper set to miss Spurs vs Atletico second leg

Tottenham will host Atletico Madrid on Wednesday night in their last-16 second leg, following what was a shambolic performance from Spurs in Spain last week.

Tudor’s side found themselves 4-0 down after just 22 minutes at the Metropolitano Stadium, a passage of which saw goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky hauled off by the Croatian boss after just 17 minutes following errors which led to Atletico’s first and third goals.

The match would finish 5-2 to Diego Simeone’s side and ahead of this week’s return leg, it would appear that the narrative may again be dominated by the goalkeeping position.

That’s because Atleti stopper Jan Oblak - ranked at No.8 in FourFourTwo’s list of the planet’s best goalkeepers at the end of last year - will miss the trip to north London.

The Slovenian has been a key part of Simeone’s team for more than a decade and has not missed a single game in the Champions League this season, but according to Spanish outlet Marca, he will not travel to London for the midweek clash.

They report that the 33-year-old is ‘still suffering’ from a muscle strain which saw him miss his side’s 1-0 win over Getafe on Saturday, with the club initially hoping that enabling him to continue his recovery at the weekend would give him a shot at turning out against Spurs.

That has not transpired and Oblak will now focus on getting fit in time for Sunday’s Madrid derby against Real, with Juan Musso set to deputise at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Musso, who is a two-time Argentina international, kept a clean sheet in the La Liga win over Getafe and joined Atleti from Atalanta, initially on loan in 2024 before making his move permanent last summer.

Tudor, meanwhile, unsurprisingly recalled Guglielmo Vicario to his side for the trip to Liverpool, as he looked to deal with a lengthy list of injuries.

January signing Conor Gallagher missed out at Anfield through illness and will be a doubt to face his former side, while Destiny Udogie, Yves Bissouma, Lucas Bergvall, Mohammed Kudus, Dejan Kulusevski, Rodrigo Bentacur, Wilson Odobert, Ben Davies and James Maddison remain sidelined, although Cristian Romero and Joao Palhinha could both be in contention after missing out against Liverpool with concussion.

Tottenham's 5-2 defeat to Atletico Madrid on Tuesday signalled existential doom for the Lilywhites.

Back-up keeper Antonin Kinsky's ignominious substitution in the 16th minute following two terminal mistakes unlocked a depth of despair as yet untapped this season, but after four games at the helm, Igor Tudor has bored more holes in his sinking ship.

His ruthless decision to hook Kinsky has united Spurs fans against him, and after four losses from four for the 'new-manager bounce specialist', rumours are swirling of replacements already.

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Familiar names in the frame for the Tottenham Hotspur job

Survival specialist Sean Dyche is the current favourite to replace Tudor, at 1/2.

The infamous gravel voice was last heard in the Nottingham Forest dugout before Evangelos Marinakis' trigger-happy reputation claimed another victim, but Dyche's reliable reputation at Burnley and Everton remains intact.

USA manager Mauricio Pochettino is intriguingly second in the odds, despite preparing to lead the World Cup hosts into this summer's highly anticipated tournament across the pond.

His five years in North London from 2014 to 2019 were the most successful in the club's modern history, and Spurs' higher-ups will undoubtedly be desperate to recreate his consistent Champions League qualification.

At odds of 5/1 is Harry Redknapp. He managed the club from 2008 to 2012, but his last managerial role was for Birmingham City in 2017.

Since then, Redknapp has been a regular at the UK's horse racing circuit, as well as appearing on I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!

Robert de Zerbi and Robbie Keane are both set at 8/1 odds. Keane's Ferencvaros sit top of the Hungarian top flight, while de Zerbi was sacked by Marseille in January.

Ex-interim boss Ryan Mason rounds out the more likely picks at 10/1.

Many Spurs fans see Mason as a last resort, as his six wins across 13 games in charge failed to spark any inspiration.

But as Spurs sit one point above the relegation zone, few managers will wish to accept the poisoned chalice that Tudor appears to have taken a lethal dose of.

Harry Redknapp expects Igor Tudor's woes will only continue after the interim manager's woeful start to life in North London.

The Tottenham Hotspur boss was appointed until the end of the season following Thomas Frank's dismissal last month.

However, things have only gone from bad to worse under the former Juventus gaffer, who has overseen four straight defeats to Arsenal, Fulham, Crystal Palace and Atletico Madrid.

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Harry Redknapp not expecting Tottenham Hotspur turnaround

Tudor's decision to haul off goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky just 17 minutes into a shambolic display at the Wanda Metropolitano on Tuesday night drew particular criticism of the manager.

Kinsky was followed down the tunnel by teammates after being subbed off for Guglielmo Vicario after Spurs went 3-0 down within the first 15 minutes of the game.

And Speaking to BetVictor ahead of Tottenham's trip to Liverpool on Sunday, Redknapp said: "I’ve never seen anything like what I saw in Madrid the other night. I felt terrible for Kinsky.

"[It's] a disaster from the lad and I really hope he’s got good people around him. This is massive now for Spurs, they can’t afford another heavy loss here because the confidence already seems to be at rock bottom."

Redknapp is not entirely convinced by the Reds either, though, saying: "It's a tough one to predict! Liverpool were, let’s face it, not great in Istanbul. Still, a 1-0 loss in that stadium is never a shocker and I still fancy them to go through.

"At the same time, you don’t know what to expect from them this season. Who saw that defeat at Wolves coming?"

However, Redknapp feels that Arne Slot's side should have enough about them to get the job done against struggling Spurs.

Delivering his prediction, he said: "I’m giving Liverpool the win, 2-0. One to watch – [Florian] Wirtz was a bit hit and miss in Istanbul. Liverpool need more from him in this one."

A Liverpool clean sheet? He really doesn't think Tottenham are much good, does he?

Igor Tudor has enough on his plate at Tottenham without potentially losing two key players for their trip to Liverpool on Sunday afternoon.

A calamitous display away to Atletico Madrid in midweek extended Tudor's record as interim Tottenham Hotspur boss to four straight defeats, and Spurs will now return to trying to move themselves away from a realistic threat of relegation this weekend.

However, Tudor could be without both captain Cristian Romero and midfielder Joao Palhinha at Anfield after they were both injured in the same incident against Atletico.

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What the concussion protocol says about Cristian Romero and Joao Palhinha before Liverpool trip

Palhinha and Romero clashed heads midway through the second half of that 5-2 defeat, with Palhinha getting subbed off after several minutes of treatment on the pitch.

Romero then went off too in injury time having initially played on but then struggling - and both players may now be subject to the FA's concussion protocols, which would rule them out at the weekend and possibly for the reverse leg against Atletico.

The concussion protocol for professional players follows the enhanced care pathway.

It stipulates that players with suspected concussion symptoms must have a rest period of 48 hours followed by a six-day gradual return to training.

All being well, the guidelines are that light exercise is permitted in days three and four, football-specific exercise in days five and six, non-contact training in days seven and eight, and then full-contact training in days nine, 10 and 11.

Any issues that emerge as part of that process would mean that players must be given a longer to recovery

However, a return to match action can be permitted from day seven in 'exceptional criteria' - which would be Tuesday for Palhinha and Romero if they were to recover well enough to qualify.

Spurs travel to Liverpool for a 4:30pm kick-off on Sunday before hosting Atletico on Wednesday night.

Tudor could not be definitive on Tuesday night as to whether or not Romero and Palhinha would need to go through those protocols.

If they are ruled out against Liverpool, the pair would join a growing list of absentees that also includes the suspended Micky van de Ven, who was sent off against Crystal Palace, and long-term absentees like Ben Davies, Mohammed Kudus, Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison.