Antonín Kinský transformation earns praise after Tottenham setback

Antonín Kinský has established himself as Tottenham Hotspur’s first-choice goalkeeper after recovering from what his father described as a “critical period” during his difficult start in north London.

Tottenham signed Kinský from Slavia Prague in January 2025, initially placing him behind Guglielmo Vicario. His situation changed following Roberto De Zerbi’s arrival in March and Vicario undergoing hernia surgery.

The 23-year-old has since become De Zerbi’s No.1 and, according to the supplied report, has not missed a match. He has recorded eight clean sheets while conceding 38 goals across 26 Tottenham appearances.

It represents a significant turnaround after one particularly painful Champions League night.

During Igor Tudor’s brief spell in charge, Kinský was handed his Champions League debut against Atlético Madrid in March.

Tottenham conceded three times inside the opening 15 minutes of their 5-2 defeat, with Tudor making the unusual decision to substitute Kinský after only 17 minutes.

His father, Antonín Kinský Sr., has now explained how difficult that period was for his son.

“Of course it was unpleasant,” he told iSport.cz. “You wish for success, your head is racing: Now it will break, now it will get into the goal.”

Kinský Sr. admitted the family had carefully considered the original move to Tottenham and suggested they might view the decision differently with hindsight.

There was also a prolonged period when the goalkeeper appeared to have little prospect of becoming Tottenham’s starter.

“The only thing that got Tonda through it was his determination, his consistency in training and the high standards he set for himself,” Kinský Sr. said.

“Even despite what happened to him at Atlético Madrid.”

Rather than allowing that setback to define his Tottenham career, Kinský continued working towards another opportunity.

His father believes the improvement since then has been substantial and credits Tottenham’s training environment with contributing to his development.

“From my point of view, he’s a completely different goalkeeper now. Completely different,” Kinský Sr. said.

“And that’s also down to the quality of his day-to-day work at the club.”

Kinský Sr. was always confident his son possessed the ability to turn his situation around, although the speed of his rise under De Zerbi exceeded expectations.

“I expected it. I’m convinced of his qualities,” he said. “But of course, I didn’t expect everything to happen quite so quickly. I have to take my hat off to him…”

Kinský’s response has ultimately been emphatic. A goalkeeper who struggled for a route into the starting XI and endured a brutal Champions League debut is now Tottenham’s established No.1 under De Zerbi.

Kinský’s challenge has changed considerably. Rather than fighting simply to earn an opportunity, he must now maintain the standards that have made him De Zerbi’s first choice.

Vicario’s absence initially helped open the door, but Kinský’s run in the side has given him the chance to establish his own position at Tottenham.

His father’s comments also underline how quickly circumstances can change at a major club. After appearing to have little chance of becoming the starter and then enduring the Atlético setback, Kinský has responded by becoming a regular. Maintaining that status will now be the next test.