Roberto De Zerbi has been appointed as Tottenham Hotspur's new manager after Igor Tudor's departure on Sunday, as he looks to steer the club away from relegation
Roberto De Zerbi promised to help Tottenham Hotspur climb the Premier League table as he was unveiled as the club's new manager on Tuesday.
The Italian is charged with guiding the Premier League outfit away from the looming spectre of relegation after his predecessor, interim boss Igor Tudor, was unable to ignite a spark within the team. Tudor left on Sunday following a brief 44-day stint and seven matches at the helm at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, failing to secure a single victory and amassing just one point from a possible 21.
De Zerbi, the 46-year-old ex-Brighton manager, only parted ways with Marseille in February and had been pinpointed as a prime target for the summer. However, Spurs have succeeded in persuading him to assume the role sooner as they strive to evade demotion from English football's premier division for the first time since 1977/78.
They sit just one point and one place above West Ham with seven fixtures remaining, which include crucial six-pointers against Wolves and Leeds who are also in serious danger of relegation. Upon his unveiling as the new head coach on Tuesday evening, De Zerbi said: "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. I am here because I believe in that ambition and have signed a long-term contract to give everything to deliver it.
"Our short-term priority is to climb the Premier League table, which will be the complete focus until the final whistle of the last game of the season. I'm looking forward to getting out on the training pitch and working with these players to achieve that."
This follows reports revealing there is no relegation release clause within De Zerbi's five-year deal, indicating he will stay at the helm should Spurs drop into the Championship come May. He is also thought to become the Premier League's third-highest paid head coach, after Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta.
FOLLOW OUR TOTTENHAM FB PAGE!Latest Spurs news, analysis and much more via our dedicated Facebook page
Spurs' sporting director Johan Lange said: "Roberto was our number one target for the summer and we are very pleased to be able to bring him in now. 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."
Spurs have now lost three managers since May 2025, with Ange Postecoglou, Thomas Frank and Tudor all departing. The Europa League champions will be desperately hoping De Zerbi can deliver an instant impact to prevent an embarrassing drop to the second division.
However, De Zerbi's appointment has proved divisive amongst Spurs supporters due to his backing of Mason Greenwood at Marseille. The Tottenham Hotspur Supporters' Trust have confirmed they will oppose his appointment following member complaints, with certain fans threatening to boycott fixtures.
Greenwood faced accusations of attempted rape and assault, though all charges were withdrawn in February 2023. He left Manchester United to revive his career in Spain via a loan spell at Getafe before joining Marseille shortly after De Zerbi assumed control of the Ligue 1 club.
De Zerbi said while in France: "I don't want to get involved in anyone's private life. I don't even get into the private lives of my children, because I want to give everyone their freedom. All I can see is that Mason seems a good lad, he paid in a strong way for what happened.
"He has probably here found the right environment for him, which gave him affection, and held out its hand to him. When I look at him as a person, I feel sad for what happened in his life, without getting into the details. Because the person I know here is very different to the one that has been described, especially in England."