Roberto de Zerbi has been told what is expected of him as Tottenham manager, with the club underscoring its ambitions despite being in danger of relegation from the Premier League.
Roberto De Zerbi is tasked with keeping Tottenham in the Premier League
Roberto de Zerbi has been told he needs to build a Tottenham team that is “capable of achieving great things” and that will “excite the supporters” after being named the north London side’s new manager.
The Italian replaced Igor Tudor, who lasted just 44 days in the Premier League before being sacked after picking up just one point from five games.
De Zerbi left Marseille in February and was out of work, but made his mark by managing Brighton from 2022 to 2024. His style of play has won praise and he is tasked with replicating it in the capital as Tottenham look to rediscover their former self.
The club won the Europa League last year, but it was their first trophy since 2008 and were previously Champions League regulars. Tottenham’s pecking order retains high ambitions despite a disastrous two years domestically, and that has been made clear to De Zerbi.
He said: “I am delighted to be joining this great football club, 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 that can achieve great things, and to deliver 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 make it happen.”
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Despite Tottenham’s long-term aspirations, there remains a chance they could slip into the Championship with the club just one point above the bottom three. They are without a win in the league in 2026, losing 3-0 to relegation rivals Nottingham Forest in their last match. As a result, de Zerbi understands that his first task is to ensure maximum flight safety.
“Our short-term priority is to move up the Premier League table,” said the Italian. “Which will be our focus until the final whistle of the season and I’m looking forward to getting out on the training pitch and working with the players to achieve that.”
Roberto de Zerbi has been out of work since leaving Marseille (Image: Anadolu via Getty Images)
De Zerbi has a lucrative contract, which is thought to include a relegation clause. Tottenham have already gone through two managers this season, with Tudor replacing Thomas Frank, but the Italian was the frontrunner as soon as the team started managing again.
One of his former players, former Brighton manager Neal Maupay, confessed that De Zerbi’s ideals and principles could not be implemented overnight, despite the need to make an immediate impact. The striker told Sky Sports News: “What he wants to do will take time!”
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