Roberto De Zerbi makes long-term vow in first words as Tottenham manager

• 

• Spurs
• Tottenham Hotspur News
• Spurs

New Tottenham Hotspur manager Roberto De Zerbi has issued a message to fans

Roberto De Zerbi has shown his long-term commitment to Tottenham Hotspur in a message to supporters. The 46-year-old was confirmed as the club’s new head coach on Tuesday.

The former Brighton boss agreed a lucrative five-year deal with Spurs, which reportedly makes him the third-highest-paid manager in the Premier League. De Zerbi had been out of work since leaving Marseille in February.

His appointment followed confirmation that Spurs had parted ways with previous boss Igor Tudor. The Italian coach will now focus on ensuring Premier League survival, having joined a Spurs side sitting one point above the relegation zone with seven games remaining.

The team have not won a league game since December. Despite the threat of Spurs losing their top-flight status, De Zerbi has stated he is at the club for the long haul.

FOLLOW OUR TOTTENHAM FB PAGE! Latest Spurs news, analysis and much more via our dedicated Facebook page

In a short video posted on the club’s X account, De Zerbi said: “Hello to all the Tottenham fans. I am very happy to stay here with you. For me, it’s a very [big] honour and I’m very proud to be your coach.

“I want to give my best. I want to stay for a long time in this big club. See you soon.”

De Zerbi’s first match in charge will be against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light on April 12. The club’s earlier exits from the FA Cup and Champions League will afford the new boss an extended spell on the training pitch.

He is Tottenham’s third managerial appointment of the season following Thomas Frank and Tudor’s previous exits. The disjointed campaign has left the team in a relegation scrap, despite also reaching the Champions League knockout stages.

De Zerbi began his coaching career in Italy and was also in charge of Shakhtar Donetsk before joining Brighton in 2022, where he was lauded for his team’s attacking style. In his first statement as Spurs boss on Tuesday, he suggested that he plans to implement a similar approach in his new role.

"I am delighted to be joining this fantastic football club, which is one of the biggest and most prestigious in the world,” De Zerbi said.

"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."

Tottenham sporting director Johan Lange said of De Zerbi’s appointment: "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."