‘He Didn’t Manage’ – Ex-Marseille Star Warns Tottenham On Roberto De Zerbi | OneFootball

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Former Marseille star Frank Leboeuf has urged Tottenham Hotspur to look beyond Roberto De Zerbi, suggesting the Italian may not suit the current demands, with a stronger, more authoritative presence needed to drag them clear of the relegation fight.

Last season, De Zerbi took over Marseille in June and guided the French giants to a top-two finish in his debut campaign.

However, this year, Les Olympiens find themselves in a much less favourable position, eleven points adrift of the summit, prompting the Italian tactician to depart in January following a league-phase exit from the Champions League and thrashing by Paris Saint-Germain.

Tottenham recently parted ways with Igor Tudor after the Croatian lost four of his first five league matches, leaving the Lilywhites teetering just one point above the drop zone, with a former Lilywhite demanding accountability from those who handed him the reins.

With Spurs on the brink of a first Premier League exit since 1977 and two weeks until their next fixture against Sunderland, speculation linking the former Brighton manager with the job at N17 has ignited.

The former Marseille star questioned whether appointing the 46-year-old would be the right move for Spurs, noting that while the Italian made an immediate impact at Stade Velodrome, he ultimately fell short of expectations over time.

Leboeuf suggested Spurs’ recent reliance on more player-friendly coaches has not delivered the required results and implied that a different managerial profile may now be needed.

The 58-year-old added that a more authoritative figure capable of enforcing accountability across the Tottenham players could be necessary, particularly with the threat of relegation looming large.

When asked whether De Zerbi would be a good fit, Leboeuf said on ESPN FC (12:11): “I don’t know.

“I mean, it worked at first when he came to Marseille.

“When he first came, again, he did the job and did nothing to complain about, but in the length of his work, we have seen that he didn’t manage to go to all the expectations that we had.

“And no, I don’t think it works.

“They’ve been through many coaches who show kindness to the players, who are like coach-friends, and they need maybe somebody else, maybe somebody who can threaten them, maybe with the coach, with the president, with the chairman, with the board, saying, ‘You know what, if we are relegated, nobody leaves, you’re going to play in the Championship.’

“Now we’re going to see who the warriors are, and that’s how I would see the thing

“Because you have to make a change.”

With seven games left and no manager in charge, all eyes are on who the Spurs hierarchy will turn to in the battle to keep Tottenham in the Premier League, as talks behind the scenes gather pace.

Tottenham are pulling out all the stops to win De Zerbi over, but the Italian tactician has been hesitant, with the coming hours set to be decisive as he weighs his decision.

Next up is a trip to the Stadium of Light to face Sunderland, who have been virtually untouchable at home, unbeaten in 12 of their 15 league outings, setting the stage for a fierce test of nerve for the north London side.