Tottenham Appoint De Zerbi as Coach

Tottenham appoint Roberto De Zerbi as head coach on five-year deal.
Fans protest decision amid relegation battle and ongoing controversy.
Backlash linked to De Zerbi’s past support for Mason Greenwood.

Tottenham Hotspur have appointed Roberto De Zerbi as their new head coach on a five-year contract, a decision that has already triggered strong backlash from sections of the club’s supporters.

EDITOR’S PICKS

EKO HOT BLOG reports that transfer expert Fabrizio Romano confirmed the development on 𝕏, stating: “Tottenham agree deal to appoint Roberto De Zerbi as new head coach, here we go! The story revealed yesterday is now confirmed, as De Zerbi has accepted the #THFC job with immediate effect. A five-year deal is set to be signed as De Zerbi decides to accept this challenge.”

The Italian tactician takes over immediately following the departure of Igor Tudor, as Spurs seek stability amid a difficult campaign. The North London club are currently battling relegation, sitting just one point above the drop zone with seven matches remaining in the Premier League season.

However, the appointment has been met with criticism from the Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust, which convened an emergency board meeting before reaching out to the club to express its concerns. The group told BBC Sport it had received a surge of complaints from fans opposed to the decision.

Ali Speechly, co-founder of Women of the Lane, also voiced opposition, stating that her group disagrees with the appointment and that she would stop attending matches.

The backlash centres on De Zerbi’s previous public support for Mason Greenwood following his move from Manchester United to Olympique de Marseille after charges of rape and physical assault against him were dropped.

De Zerbi had described Greenwood as a “good guy” and suggested he had paid a “heavy price” for the criticism he faced after his 2022 arrest, comments that have continued to generate controversy among supporters.