Tottenham confirm Roberto De Zerbi appointment | OneFootball

Tottenham Hotspur have confirmed the appointment of Roberto De Zerbi as head coach on a long-term contract, the club said in a statement. The 46-year-old Italian will take charge for the Premier League trip to Sunderland on April 12.

He is tasked in the short term with pulling Spurs away from danger. The club are 17th, one point above the relegation zone, and could be in the bottom three by the time of that match, depending on 18th-placed West Ham United’s home game against Wolverhampton Wanderers, who are at the foot of the table.

His second match is against former club Brighton and Hove Albion on April 18. He left Marseille on February 11 and has been out of work since.

He outlined an ambition to build a side that excites supporters, with the immediate focus on climbing the table.

He becomes Spurs’ third head coach this season, succeeding Igor Tudor, who left on Sunday after one point from five league matches. Tudor had replaced Thomas Frank, appointed from Brentford last summer.

His Marseille spell lasted less than two years, yielding a 57 per cent win rate. He led them into this season’s Champions League but they fell short of the top 24 in the league phase.

On Friday, three Spurs fan groups urged the club not to appoint him, citing his backing of Mason Greenwood during their time together at Marseille. Before Brighton and Marseille, he managed Benevento, Sassuolo, Palermo and Shakhtar Donetsk.

Source: NY Times