Tottenham have appointed Roberto De Zerbi as their third head coach of the season, the Italian signing a five-year contract with no relegation release clause. Spurs sit one point above the Premier League’s bottom three with seven games remaining and face the prospect of their first top-flight relegation since 1977.
De Zerbi’s appointment has drawn criticism from some supporter groups because of his backing of Mason Greenwood while he was Marseille head coach. The Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust said the decision “raises serious and far-reaching concerns.” Sky Sports News understands the board carefully considered De Zerbi’s association with Greenwood during the hiring process and expect the new head coach to address the issue when he is presented to the media.
De Zerbi has more than a week to prepare for his first match, a trip to Sunderland on April 12, live on Sky Sports. He has said keeping the club in the Premier League is the “short-term priority.” The pressure to get the appointment right is intense after Igor Tudor’s 44-day spell in which he failed to win a Premier League game; Spurs have now moved through three head coaches in the past year.
Having been reluctant to take a job before the summer after leaving Marseille, De Zerbi said discussions with Tottenham’s leadership convinced him to join on a “long-term contract.” “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,” De Zerbi said on the club website. “I am here because I believe in that ambition and have signed a long-term contract to give everything to deliver it.”
Sporting director Johan Lange said Tottenham are pleased De Zerbi, their first choice to take over in the summer, has agreed to try to keep them in the top flight. “He is one of the most creative and forward-thinking coaches in world football, and brings with him a wealth of experience at the highest level, including in the Premier League,” Lange added.
Sky Sports News chief correspondent Kaveh Solhekol said De Zerbi understands the gravity of the task and has made survival the immediate goal. Solhekol reported that De Zerbi recognises the squad’s strengths and believes consistency, clear targets and a simplified tactical approach are needed in the short term rather than a wholesale rebuild. While De Zerbi is known for an expansive, possession-based style that has sometimes “baffled” players, sources say he will avoid overcomplicating things in this emergency.
There are also questions about De Zerbi’s combustibility after previous exits at Brighton and Marseille, where he reportedly fell out with hierarchies. Supporter concerns over his Marseille-era backing of Greenwood are expected to be raised at his first press conference. De Zerbi has said he wants a strong relationship with fans, as he has cultivated at previous clubs, to help steer Spurs clear of relegation.
Former England midfielder and Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson said getting De Zerbi in at this stage underlines Tottenham’s stature. “I don’t care how much money he gets. Whatever he gets, if he keeps them up, it’s the best money they’ve ever, ever, ever spent,” Merson said, urging the club to back him fully and “throw the kitchen sink” at survival.
De Zerbi’s track record suggests immediate impact is not guaranteed. When he took over Brighton mid-season in 2022 he went five Premier League games without a win (two draws, three defeats). Earlier in Italy, his Benevento side were relegated after he failed to win any of his first nine matches in charge, and his 2016 spell at Palermo yielded just one win in 13 games before his dismissal. Those records are cited as reasons to temper expectations about rapid turnaround.
Sky Sports News will air a special programme, Inside Spurs, on Thursday at 7pm to examine Tottenham’s precarious situation and De Zerbi’s appointment. The show will feature guests including Jamie O’Hara and will analyse whether Spurs can avoid a first relegation in 49 years and how the new coach might steer the club through the run-in.