Joe Hart took aim at Igor Tudor after Antonin Kinsky’s 17-minute nightmare against Atletico Madrid, questioning the Tottenham manager’s decision to play the rookie goalkeeper in such a high-pressure match.
Eyebrows were raised ahead tonight’s Champions League last-16 first leg as Guglielmo Vicario was dropped from Spurs’ starting XI in favour of Kinsky, who had previously made just two Carabao Cup appearances for the club this season.
And the decision backfired spectacularly, with the 22-year-old Czech at fault for two of Atleti’s goals in an astonishing first-half capitulation from the visitors at the Metropolitano Stadium.
‘I’ve been trying to make sense of it and my overall feeling is that my heart is absolutely broken for the lad,’ the ex-England and Manchester City shot-stopper said on TNT Sports’ commentary of the match.
‘Look, I know it’s a tough sport, it’s the Champions League, it’s such an important game.
‘I said it before the game, he [Tudor] had an opportunity to give us the reason why he put him in goal and he didn’t say.
‘Was he getting an opportunity tonight? Was he just filling the the gloves for one game? Who knows?
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‘And I’m sure that felt like the message given to him [Kinsky] on such a special night.’
Hart went on: ‘I’m not making excuses for the lad, he’s had a horrible 14 minutes. A slip and that third goal was just everything that he didn’t want to happen.
‘I don’t even know what to say, I’ve seen the lot, the same as you [TNT Sports’ commentary team of Darren Fletcher and Ally McCoist]. I know you’re racking your brains from what you’ve seen in football.
‘I’m just heartbroken from the lad, absolutely heartbroken. This Tottenham team is all over the shop at the moment.’
‘Heartbroken’ Joe Hart sends message to Igor Tudor over Antonin Kinsky decision
More to follow.