Tottenham Hotspur manager: Spurs have confirmed Robert De Zerbi as the club’s new head coach.
Tottenham Hotspur are onto their fourth manager in 12 months with Roberto De Zerbi confirmed as the club’s new head coach on a five-year deal.
It’s understood that the former Brighton & Hove Albion and Marseille boss has had no relegation release clause included in his contract despite Spurs sitting one point above the relegation zone with seven games left to play.
It comes after Spurs parted company with Igor Tudor on Sunday afternoon after five defeats in seven matches during a shambolic 44-day reign.
Tottenham made De Zerbi their number one managerial target for the summer but were forced to act quickly in a bid to salvage their season.
While De Zerbi’s initial preference was to assess his options in the summer, the 46-year-old accepted Tottenham’s proposal.
Upon joining Spurs, De Zerbi said: “I am delighted to be joining this fantastic football club, which is 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 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.”
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A controversial appointment for Spurs?
The appointment of De Zerbi has not gone down well with certain sections of the Spurs fanbase. Three supporter groups on Friday urged the north London club to not appoint De Zerbi due to his past association with Mason Greenwood at Marseille.
Proud Lilywhites, Women of the Lane and Spurs Reach all expressed their concerns with ‘No to De Zerbi’ statements. Sources claim Spurs considered and discussed the comments and sentiments around Greenwood with De Zerbi during negotiations before making a decision.
Eddie Howe’s future at NUFC
The decision comes after Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe’s future was discussed by chief executive officer David Hopkinson.
While Howe was never seriously linked with the vacant Spurs role, Newcastle’s struggles this season and recent derby defeat to Sunderland have seen him face increased scrutiny.
On Howe’s future, Hopkinson said: “I don't have a stance on his future. What I can tell you is that the derby loss hurt. We take it seriously. There's nothing within us that thinks 'well, it's just three points and on we go'. It has resonated.
"I spent a couple of hours in a one-on-one lunch recently with Eddie and we talked through a multitude of things, including that.
"Eddie's our manager. I expect to have a great run to the end of the season here and we'll talk about the future when it's time. "Right now, we're focused on this season's competition."
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