How to destroy psychological safety in 17 minutes!

In the 16th minute of the match between Atlético Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur, it happened: all of Europe could watch live on TV as the 22-year-old goalkeeper Antonín Kinský was humiliated by his coach Igor Tudor.

Yes, the young Czech had a nightmare start to the game, making two terrible mistakes early on, both of which led to goals. At one point, he slipped on the wet pitch (he wasn’t the only one), and a few minutes later, he attempted a direct pass to a teammate that slipped off his foot and went straight to the opponent. Yes, it looked amateurish—and yes, it was really poor. But we all make mistakes. The real question is not whether we make them, but how we—and our leaders—deal with them.

Igor Tudor chose the harshest possible response and substituted Antonín Kinský in the 17th minute—“in an act of total ruthlessness”(SZ). He did not even acknowledge him, did not offer a word or gesture of encouragement, nor any sign of support. It was the opposing crowd that showed empathy, applauding him with compassion as he walked off the pitch.

Later, Igor Tudor explained his decision by saying: “I wanted to protect him and the team.” Experts, however, reached a different conclusion. The Danish goalkeeping legend Peter Schmeichel said: “He should have kept him in at least until halftime. He has basically killed his career.” And Joe Hart added that he was “deeply shocked by what happened to the boy,” and continued: “If that is leadership, I’m speechless.”

Yes, coaches carry responsibility for the result and sometimes have to make tough decisions in the interest of the collective goal. But with this public substitution, Igor Tudor did himself—and the team—a disservice:

First, it severely damages the goalkeeper’s confidence. It is not uncommon for players to break under such public humiliation, sometimes leading to depression or burnout.

Second, this leadership style sends a clear message to the rest of the team: “If you make mistakes, I will withdraw my trust.”

Trust and psychological safety are the foundation of high performance. It is the primary responsibility of a leader to build a culture of growth and learning. But this is only possible when people know that mistakes are allowed. Otherwise, a culture of fear emerges—and those who are afraid become cautious, and those who are cautious will never reach their full potential. This applies just as much in sports as it does in business.

Performance and responsibility grow only where people feel safe. Igor Tudor has shown us how quickly, under pressure for results, empathy and connection with the team can be lost. And we all know—he is not the only one this happens to.