Tottenham Hotspur has named Roberto De Zerbi as their new manager on a long-term deal. The Italian coach now has seven games to help the North London club avoid relegation.
Tottenham brought in former Brighton & Hove Albion manager De Zerbi to help the club avoid relegation from the top division for the first time since 1977.
“Roberto was our number one target for the summer, and we are very pleased to be able to bring him in now,” Spurs Sporting Director Johan Lange said in a club statement.
“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.”
The London club, which won the Europa League last season, is just one point and one place above the Premier League relegation zone after 31 games. They have not won a league match since December.
De Zerbi’s first game in charge will be away at Sunderland on April 12. By that time, Spurs could find themselves in the bottom three.
He takes over from Croatian Igor Tudor, who left by mutual agreement on Sunday after seven games as interim manager. Tudor had stepped in after Thomas Frank was dismissed.
“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,” De Zerbi said.
“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.”
DE ZERBI’S PREVIOUS ROLE
The 46-year-old joined Marseille in 2024 after a successful spell at Brighton. He led the French club to a second-place finish in Ligue 1 during the 2024-25 season.
He left Marseille by mutual consent in February after a 5-0 loss to Paris Saint-Germain. At the time, he said he would wait until the end of the season before returning to management.
Before that, De Zerbi spent two seasons at Brighton, guiding the club to a sixth-place finish in the Premier League and their first-ever European qualification. He left at the end of the 2023-24 season.
At Brighton, De Zerbi was known for his progressive passing style, high energy, pressing, and ability to adapt his players.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola described De Zerbi’s Brighton systems as ‘unique’ and once called him one of the most influential coaches of the last 20 years.
De Zerbi’s first job as a manager was at Palermo in 2016, but it lasted less than three months. His next role at Benevento ended with the team’s relegation.
He made his name at Sassuolo, where he spent three seasons and led the club to two straight eighth-place finishes in Serie A before moving to Shakhtar Donetsk.
