Antonin Kinsky, the 22 year old Czech Goalkeeper who made his Champions League debut for Spurs, is in the headlines for the wrong reasons, as his disastrous performance saw him subbed out by Igor Tudor for Guglielmo Vicario in just 17 minutes during Tottenham's Champions League game against Atlético Madrid . The decision by the manager shocked the football world, with iconic goalkeepers such as Joe Hart even criticizing the manager for the substitution. Fans all over the world felt bad for the player, and he has since received huge support from all over.
So who is Antonin Kinsky and how did he join Tottenham Hotspur? Let us look back at his career so far
Antonin Kinsky: From Dukla Prague to Tottenham Hotspur
Antonín Kinský began his youth career at Tempo Prague before moving to Bohemians 1905 in 2017. In 2018, he joined Dukla Prague at the age of 15 and made his senior debut for the club in July 2020 in a Czech National Football League match against Třinec. He also kept a clean sheet in his Czech Cup debut later that year. His performances quickly earned him recognition as one of the most promising Czech goalkeeping talents. In July 2021, he signed a four-year contract with Slavia Prague.
To gain first-team experience, Kinský spent loan spells between 2022 and 2024 at MFK Vyškov and FK Pardubice. He made his Czech First League debut for Pardubice in July 2023 against Bohemians 1905. His season included setbacks such as a red card suspension and injury issues, but he returned strongly and recorded his first top-flight clean sheet in December 2023 against Slovan Liberec. After the 2023–24 season, he initially planned to leave Slavia but changed his decision when the club offered him the starting goalkeeper role following an injury to their first-choice keeper.
Kinský impressed at Slavia during the start of the 2024–25 season, conceding just one goal in his first nine league matches. His performances attracted international attention, and in January 2025 he signed for Tottenham Hotspur on a six-and-a-half-year contract worth around £12.5 million. He made his debut in the EFL Cup semi-final against Liverpool, keeping a clean sheet in a 1–0 victory. Although he did not play in Tottenham’s Europa League knockout matches that season, he was awarded a medal after the club won the competition.
On 10 March 2026, Kinský made his UEFA Champions League debut in the round of 16 first leg against Atlético Madrid. Tottenham suffered a difficult 5–2 away defeat, with Kinský conceding three goals before being substituted in the 17th minute.
Our opinion on the Antonin Kinsky substitution
When the Spurs team news came in before the Atlético Madrid Champions League game, the name of Antonin Kinsky in the lineup caught most fans by surprise, and it was seen as a bold call by manager Igor Tudor. However, as soon as the game began, it became apparent that Tudor's risky selection had ended up being an absolute disaster. 3 goals were conceded in around 17 minutes and he was taken off by Igor Tudor.
There is no doubt that the player should've been taken off, but doing it in just 17 minutes, that too a player in his Champions League debut for Spurs, is nothing less than a poor decision by the manager according to us. These are the type of incidents that could forever destroy the confidence of young players, and we really hope Kinsky can recover from this and establish himself as a top Goalkeeper in the future.
The most ideal thing to do would have been to sub off the goalkeeper after the first-half, but Tudor had messed up the whole goalkeeping situation in this game. It remains to be seen if Tudor still stays as Spurs manager, as calls grow for him to be sacked after Atlético Madrid thrashed Spurs 5-2. As for Kinsky, we hope he comes back stronger than ever.
