Crisis-ridden Tottenham have confirmed the appointment of Roberto De Zerbi as their new manager. De Zerbi, 46, has signed a five-year contract at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and is tasked with keeping them in the Premier League.
Spurs are 17th in the table, languishing one point and place above the relegation zone with just seven games to go. Their abject 3-0 defeat at home to relegation rivals Nottingham Forest spelled the end of Igor Tudor's reign as interim manager, having only been in charge for 44 days.
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.”
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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.”
Tudor's departure was announced on Sunday and Tottenham have acted quickly to bring in De Zerbi. The Italian established himself in the Premier League with Brighton, where he spent nearly two seasons and earned the club's highest-ever top-flight finish, which in turn secured European qualification for the first time in their history.
De Zerbi left Brighton in 2024 and went on to manage French giants Marseille, who he parted ways with in February. The former Shakhtar Donetsk and Sassuolo boss was quickly sounded out as a target for the vacant full-time managerial position at Manchester United.
But Tottenham have managed convince De Zerbi to help them in their crisis. The 46-year-old initially wanted to wait until the summer to take over but U-turned on his stance after negotiations with Spurs' hierarchy.
De Zerbi becomes their fourth manager in less than a year, with Thomas Frank having replaced Ange Postecoglou last summer. Frank arrived with a glowing reputation from his time at Brentford, but only lasted eight months.
Tottenham are yet to win a Premier League game in 2026 and it'll be April 12 by the time they're back in action away to Sunderland. Tudor only earned one point from his five top-flight matches, although he did record a victory in the Champions League.
Will Roberto De Zerbi keep Tottenham up? Give us your prediction in the comments section.
De Zerbi's appointment has already been the subject of backlash. Last week, three supporters' groups released statements urging the club not to hire him because of his comments on Mason Greenwood.
Shortly after taking the Marseille job, De Zerbi controversially signed the ex-England forward, who was sold by Man United in 2024 after charges against him, including attempted rape and assault, were dropped. He described Greenwood as a 'good guy' who'd paid a 'heavy price."