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Tottenham Hotspur have done something unusual to convince Roberto De Zerbi to take the job, with the Italian being entrusted with a huge responsibility at the North London club.
Some pundits are surprised that Spurs have been able to attract De Zerbi despite being in the middle of a relegation battle.
The Lilywhites have offered a five-year contract to the Italian, and the length of the deal has raised some eyebrows, given the newcomer’s history of falling out with clubs.
It has now emerged that Tottenham have gone even further behind the scenes, handing the 46-year-old ultimate power.
Roberto De Zerbi will have an Alex Ferguson-style managerial role at Tottenham
According to a report in La Gazzetta dello Sport (as relayed by Sport Witness), De Zerbi will work in a structure where his role is closer to the traditional English manager role.
The Italian’s influence at Tottenham Hotspur will stretch far beyond the pitch, with the former Brighton boss set to be a central figure in the club’s football decisions.
De Zerbi will have a major say in squad building, direction and long-term planning, similar to the role Sir Alex Ferguson had at Man United in the past.
This is different to how most clubs are structured in the modern-day, with head coaches working within defined sporting hierarchies.
What convinced De Zerbi to change his mind on Spurs job
Gazzetta explain that at first, De Zerbi resisted the idea of taking the Tottenham job immediately and preferred to assess his options in the summer.
However, Spurs persisted, and their willingness to align fully with the Italian’s ideas ultimately convinced him.
It is revealed that the club’s willingness to offer De Zerbi a say in decisions beyond the first-team also proved crucial in swaying him to take the job.
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