Roberto De Zerbi appointed as new Tottenham boss despite fan backlash | OneFootball

Roberto De Zerbi has been named as the new Tottenham boss on a five-year contract, tasked with saving them from an unthinkable Premier League relegation despite a number of supporters’ groups having urged Spurs not to appoint him.

Tottenham parted ways with Igor Tudor “by mutual consent” on Sunday after a disastrous seven-game spell that lasted just 44 days and left the north London club in dire straits, only one point and one place above West Ham in the Premier League relegation zone and in real danger of dropping out of the top flight since 1977.

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Roberto De Zerbi will be the new Tottenham manager (Getty Images)

They are winless in their last 13 Premier League games, their longest run without a top-flight success in 91 years and endured an embarrassing 5-2 capitulation against Atletico Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 clash before a futile second-leg success served as their only win under Tudor, who was a left-field appointment when he replaced Thomas Frank in February.

But the club has opted for ex-Brighton and Marseille coach De Zerbi, who left the Ligue 1 side in February. It was initially thought that the 46-year-old was only happy to join Spurs at the end of the season, once he knew their league status, but has had a change of heart and will become head coach immediately to try and steer them away from the drop. He has signed a long-term deal, with no relegation clause.

A Tottenham statement said: “We are pleased to announce the appointment of Roberto De Zerbi as our new men’s head coach on a long-term contract, subject to work permit.”

In a statement accompanying Tottenham’s announcement, De Zerbi insisted he is committed to the club’s “ambition for the future”. The Italian lasted less than two seasons in his previous two spells at Brighton and Marseille, and he has been immediately thrown into a relegation battle.

“I am delighted to be joining this fantastic football club, which is one of the biggest and most prestigious in the world,” said De Zerbi. “In all my discussions with the club’s leadership, their ambition for the future has been clear – to build a team capable of reaching great achievements, and to do that playing a style of football that excites and inspires our supporters. I am here because I believe in that ambition and have signed a long-term contract to give everything to deliver it.

“Our short-term priority is to climb the Premier League table, which will be the complete focus until the final whistle of the last game of the season. I’m looking forward to getting out on the training pitch and working with these players to achieve that.”

De Zerbi developed a reputation for possession-based, attacking football while in charge of Benevento and Sassuolo in his homeland before a spell Shakhtar Donetsk was cut short by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. He joined Brighton and secured European football for the first time in the Seagulls’ history during his first season in charge – ultimately reaching the last 16 of the Europa League during the following campaign.

That success saw him linked with managerial vacancies at giants such as Barcelona, Manchester United, Liverpool and Bayern Munich but his relationship with Brighton hierarchy completely broke down, leading to a mutual parting of ways at the end of the 2023-24 season.

He then joined Marseille, finishing second in Ligue 1 in 2024-25 but leaving by mutual agreement in February 2026 after a Champions League exit in the league phase and a 5-0 loss to PSG domestically.

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De Zerbi left Marseille in February (Getty Images)

When he was linked with the Spurs job, three Tottenham fan groups urged the club not to make the appointment, due to the Italian having backed controversial Marseille forward Mason Greenwood during his time in charge.

Ex-Manchester United attacker Greenwood was charged in October 2022 with one count of attempted rape, one count of controlling and coercive behaviour and one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm over allegations relating to a young women after images and videos were posted online.

The Crown Prosecution Service dropped the charges in February 2023 owing to a “combination of the withdrawal of key witnesses” and due to “no realistic prospect of conviction”. Greenwood has since resumed his career and joined Marseille in 2024.

In November, De Zerbi described Greenwood as a “good guy” that had paid a “heavy price” and added: “It saddens me what happened in his life, because I know a totally different person than the one who was described.”

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Mason Greenwood was defended by De Zerbi during his time in charge of Marseille (Getty Images)

Tottenham fan groups Proud Lilywhites, Spurs Reach and Women of the Lane all started a ‘No to De Zerbi’ campaign due to the Greenwood association.

Proud Lilywhites said at the time: “We’ve seen the reports linking Roberto De Zerbi with the Tottenham job and honestly, it doesn’t sit right. As Proud Lilywhites, we care deeply about this club, not just what happens on the pitch, but what Tottenham stands for off it. This isn’t just about results or style of football. It’s about values, identity, and the kind of people we choose to represent us.”

In a statement following De Zerbi’s appointment, Proud Lilywhites said: “Whilst we disagree with the managerial choice, in terms of culture and competence, we will continue to support the players without pretending to be comfortable with the appointment.

“Staying silent is not the answer. But choosing when and where to be vocal matters. Managers come and go. Executives come and go. Players come and go. Fans remain. We are the constant in this club. We will continue to represent the views of our members to the club, alongside the other supporter associations. This is not noise or reaction. It is a considered position, and it is not going away.”