Tottenham have confirmed that the former Marseille and Brighton boss has agreed to take over, signing a long-term contract in the process, after the departure of interim boss Igor Tudor. De Zerbi has been a long-term managerial target for the club.
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.”
Spurs are facing a potentially ruinous relegation from the Premier League and De Zerbi has little time to hit the ground running.
Nevertheless, sporting director Johan Lange has talked up his appointment, saying: “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.”
Rio Ferdinand is one pundit who thinks it is a risky appointment, saying: “Listen, at the moment I’d be more worried about the hierarchy, I’d be looking into that. Why has it gone so wrong for so many? Big names, new ones… why has this place not been able to kick on? I don’t understand it because they’ve got it all sitting there… are they [the hierarchy] going to be a hinderance to me [Tottenham’s next manager] behind the scenes? Are they going to ruin my reputation even more now? What’s the situation here?”
Per BBC Sport, the Tottenham Hotspur Supporters' Trust has made it clear they cannot support the appointment of De Zerbi because of his previous comments about Mason Greenwood while at Marseille.
He said at the time: "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."
De Zerbi has been accused of downplaying Greenwood's actions and painting him as a victim.