The stakes couldn't be higher for the new man in the dugout. Tottenham confirmed De Zerbi's appointment on a five-year deal to stave off relegation, with the club sitting a precarious one point above the Premier League drop zone. Upon his arrival, De Zerbi expressed his enthusiasm for the challenge despite the team's grim position. He stated: “I am delighted to be joining this fantastic football club, which is one of the biggest and most prestigious in the world. 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."
However, delivering on that lofty ambition is already proving difficult. Instead of focusing on a tactical overhaul, the Italian's immediate attention has been forcefully shifted to patching up a severely depleted roster.
The reality of that crowded treatment table became glaringly obvious this week. Midfielder Pape Sarr has become the latest casualty, with the Senegal international reportedly suffering a shoulder injury while away on national team duty. Sarr was unable to feature in Senegal's recent friendly against Gambia, leaving De Zerbi with one less reliable engine in a midfield already stretched to its breaking point.
The timing could not be worse for the former Brighton boss, who has inherited a squad plagued by long-term absences. De Zerbi arrived at the training ground to find that stars such as Guglielmo Vicario, Rodrigo Bentancur, James Maddison, and Dejan Kulusevski are either sidelined or currently unavailable. With further injuries to Mathys Tel and Mohammed Kudus, the Italian coach is facing a selection nightmare as he prepares for his crucial trip to Sunderland on April 12.
While the injury news is a tactical blow, De Zerbi is also battling to win over a fractured fanbase. The Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust has already cited "serious and far-reaching concerns" regarding the appointment, primarily due to his past defense of Mason Greenwood during their time together in France. Greenwood was charged in 2022 with attempted rape, controlling and coercive behaviour, and assault occasioning actual bodily harm. The charges were dropped in January 2023. Fan groups including Proud Lilywhites and Spurs Reach have expressed discomfort with the hire, creating an atmosphere of friction before a ball has even been kicked.
De Zerbi has no time to ease into the role, with Spurs having failed to register a single league win so far in 2026. The upcoming fixture against Sunderland serves as a high-stakes debut, and the lack of a relegation release clause in his long-term contract suggests the board is betting the house on his ability to navigate this crisis. However, without Sarr and several other stars, that task has become significantly harder.