De Zerbi has moved to bridge the gap with the Tottenham faithful by apologising for comments made regarding Greenwood. The controversy stems from De Zerbi’s time in Ligue 1, where he worked closely with the ex-Manchester United forward. Upon his appointment as Igor Tudor's successor in north London, various supporters' groups expressed their concerns, with the Tottenham Hotspur Supporters' Trust suggesting that De Zerbi's past comments threatened to "create a divide among supporters" at a time when unity is essential to back the team. In his first official interview as Spurs boss, De Zerbi sought to clarify his position and express regret for any distress caused to the fanbase.
De Zerbi was keen to stress that his previous remarks were not intended to minimise serious social issues. "I have never wanted to downplay the issue of violence against women, or violence against anyone more broadly," the former Brighton manager explained. "In my life, I’ve always stood up for those who are more vulnerable, more fragile. I’ve consistently fought and taken a stand to be on the side of those who are most at risk.
"Those of you who know me well will know that I’m not the kind of person who makes compromises to win more games or to win an extra title. I’m sorry if I offended anyone’s feeling with this subject matter. I have a daughter and I’m very sensitive to these things, and I always have been. I hope that over time people will get to know me better and will understand that at that moment I didn’t mean to take a stance."
De Zerbi had previously described Greenwood as a "good guy" when working with him at Marseille, defending his character after the forward's legal troubles while he was on the books of Man Utd. Greenwood was arrested on January 31, 2022, on suspicion of rape and assault. In October that year, he was charged with one count of attempted rape, one count of controlling and coercive behaviour and one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm. The charges against Greenwood, which he always denied, were dropped in February 2023 due to "a combination of the withdrawal of key witnesses and new material that came to light meant there was no longer a realistic prospect of conviction."
Greenwood played 68 games for Marseille under De Zerbi after joining the club from United in the summer of 2024. De Zerbi said when pressed on Greenwood's past criminal case during his time at Orange Velodrome: "He’s a good guy, he paid a heavy price for what happened, a very heavy price. He has found the right environment for him. We have lent him a hand and given him affection. He’s a little bit introverted but I know him and his family."
Before Greenwood's move to Marseille was finalised, De Zerbi had also stated: "Mason is a world-class player, but we have not recruited him yet. I don’t know what happened, but I am not used to get involved in my players’ private life. If he comes here, you have to know that I treat all my players like my sons."
De Zerbi will now turn his attention to preparing for his first game in the Tottenham dugout as the club seeks to avoid relegation from the Premier League, with a trip to Sunderland on the cards on April 12.