What De Zerbi actually said about Greenwood that infuriated Tottenham fans | OneFootball

Tottenham fans are urging their club to boycott Roberto De Zerbi over comments he made about Mason Greenwood at Olympique Marseille, but the translation and context are worth looking at.

The Italian coach has emerged as the hot favourite to take over from ex-Juventus boss Igor Tudor, although the appointment is fraught with difficulty.

Not only is he resistant to accepting a role so close to the end of the season and with Premier League relegation a very real possibility, but he is also facing pushback from a group of Spurs supporters.

The Proud Lilywhites group released a statement condemning his possible hiring, noting “when someone in that position publicly defends a player like Mason Greenwood, and frames it in a way that downplays the seriousness of what happened, it matters, not just in isolation, but in what it signals.”

De Zerbi criticised by some Tottenham fans

MADRID, SPAIN – SEPTEMBER 16: Robert De Zerbi, Head Coach of Olympique de Marseille, looks on prior to the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD1 match between Real Madrid C.F. and Olympique de Marseille at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on September 16, 2025 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

The comments that De Zerbi made were in November 2025 during a press conference ahead of the Champions League match between Marseille and Newcastle United.

Many of the versions published were translated from Italian to French and then to English, so it is important to go back and see precisely what De Zerbi said.

The question from the British media was: “This is the first time Mason Greenwood has played against an English team since he moved away from England and we don’t see much of him in the UK. Can you give us an idea how his life is developing, how are things for him off the pitch since he moved?”

His response therefore needs to take that question into account.

BRADFORD, ENGLAND – AUGUST 3: Roberto De Zerbi manager of Olympique Marseille during the pre-season friendly match between Sunderland and Olympique Marseille at University of Bradford Stadium on August 3, 2024 in Bradford, England. (Photo by Nigel Roddis/Getty Images)

“I don’t want to get involved in anyone’s private life, I don’t even get into the private lives of my children, because I want to give everyone their freedom,” De Zerbi said in the press conference.

“All I can see is that Mason seems a good lad, he paid in a strong way for what happened, and he has probably here found the right environment for him, which gave him affection, and held out its hand to him.

“He has behaved well since being here. He has an introverted, rather closed character, but I met his family and they are good people.

“When I look at him as a person, I don’t see… I feel sad for what happened in his life, without getting into the details. Because the person I know here is very different to the one that has been described, especially in England.”

Greenwood was arrested in January 2022 on suspicion of rape, assault, sexual assault and threats to kill.

The charges were dropped in April 2022 when the accuser requested police drop the investigation.

He got back together with the same partner and they had a child in July 2023.