Roberto De Zerbi, Tottenham Hotspur and an issue that has fractured a fanbase

The appointment of Roberto De Zerbi has not been welcomed by all Nicolas Tucat/Getty Images Tottenham Hotspur made their last throw of the dice this week, hiring their third head coach of the season in an attempt to escape Premier League relegation. In doing so, they have created a further fracture in a deeply unhappy fanbase, and drawn heavy criticism from prominent supporters' groups regarding the character of the candidate chosen to arrest their decline: Roberto De Zerbi. To some, De Zerbi is an unlikely saviour. To others, an ostracising figure. It's a difficult situation within what still threatens to be an historically bad season. While Tottenham are generally considered among the biggest clubs in England and are certainly among the wealthiest, they have suffered a dreadful year. Thomas Frank, appointed as head coach in the summer, was dismissed in January. Igor Tudor, a left-field interim appointment with no prior Premier League experience, either as coach or player, lasted just 44 days as replacement and failed to win any of his five league games in charge. Tudor's final game was a 0-3 defeat to Nottingham Forest that left Spurs in 17th place, one point above the relegation zone. Shortly after full time, Tudor, a former Croatian international who had previously coached Juventus and Marseille, learned that his father had passed away. He returned home to Croatia for the funeral and to mourn. A week later, he and the club mutually agreed to part, leaving Spurs with seven games to save themselves and a new coach to find. As a coach, he's highly regarded. Renowned for aggressive attacking football, he has a positive reputation in England, having led Brighton & Hove Albion to the highest Premier League finish (sixth) in their history and qualifying them for European competition for the very first time. He's seen as emotional and combustible, but still highly capable, and -- under the circumstances -- was presumed to be out of Tottenham's reach. Spurs are historically a big club and would ordinarily be attractive to most coaches, but their predicament limited their options when appointing Tudor's successor. As such, De Zerbi comes at a financial premium which reflects their desperation -- Premier League relegation could cost the club up to £250million ($330m) in lost revenue -- but is still seen as a coup in pure sporting terms. But the situation has been further complicated by the Italian's entanglement with Mason Greenwood, a former Manchester United forward, who currently plays for Marseille, where De Zerbi was coach between summer 2024 and March 2026. Greenwood left Manchester United in 2024, having not played for the club since being suspended on January 30 2022. He was arrested on February 1st and then, in October 2022, charged with attempted rape, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and engaging in controlling and coercive behaviour. The Crown Prosecution Service dropped their case in February 2023 saying there was "no longer a realistic prospect of conviction" after key witnesses withdrew their cooperation from the investigation and new material came to light. Greenwood denied all the alleged offences. Manchester United initially attempted to reintegrate the player into their first team. However, following objections by supporters and staff, they decided that his career would have to resume elsewhere. He was loaned to Spanish side Getafe in September 2023 and then sold to Marseille in summer 2024. Greenwood's transfer to France provoked a strong reaction. Groups of Marseille fans demonstrated against it and even the city's mayor, Benoit Payan, urged the club to reconsider, describing the proposed deal as "a disgrace" in an interview with a CNN affiliate. Nevertheless, the transfer was completed for €31.6m and Greenwood joined Marseille, who had appointed De Zerbi as their head coach a few months earlier, in June 2024. He gave his blessing to the transfer and allowed the player to continue his career. In November 2025, ahead of a Champions League game against Newcastle United, De Zerbi was asked in a press conference about Greenwood and the rehabilitation of his playing career. "I don't want to get involved in anyone's private life. I don't even get into the private lives of my children, because I want to give everyone their freedom," he said. "All I can see is that Mason seems a good lad, he paid in a strong way for what happened. He has probably here found the right environment for him, which gave him affection, and held out its hand to him. "When I look at him as a person, I feel sad for what happened in his life, without getting into the details. Because the person I know here is very different to the one that has been described, especially in England." It is these comments that have driven the opposition against De Zerbi. When his potential hiring was rumoured, a group of supporters' groups spoke out pre-emptively. Proud Lilywhites, Spurs' official LGBTQ+ fan group, released a statement entitled "No to De Zerbi", urging the club to "reflect the values (it) says it stands for". The statement continued: "When someone in that position publicly defends a player like Mason Greenwood, and frames it in a way that downplays the seriousness of what happened, it matters, not just in isolation but in what it signals. "We are proud of the progress that's been made in making football more inclusive and welcoming. That progress matters, and it cannot be compromised or treated as secondary." Another group, Women of the Lane, released a statement with similar wording, saying that: "De Zerbi has publicly defended Mason Greenwood in a way that downplays the seriousness of male violence against women and girls. That raises serious questions about judgement and leadership. Clubs signal their values through the decisions they make. Who they appoint matters. The manager sets the tone, every day, for what is expected, what is tolerated, and how people are treated." Spurs Reach, the club's Race, Ethnicity, and Cultural Heritage supporters' association, echoed the sentiment. "Comments previously attributed to Roberto De Zerbi, including public remarks defending and contextualising Mason Greenwood following serious allegations have been widely criticised for appearing to minimise the gravity of violence against women," they wrote. "Regardless of intent, framing of this nature risks normalising harmful attitudes, diminishing the experiences of survivors, and sending a deeply concerning message about what is tolerated within the game." With the appointment becoming inevitable, The Tottenham Hotspur Supporters' Trust (THST) issued their own press release: "While we recognise the limited pool of managers with recent Premier League experience," it read, "and the need to act with urgency as Spurs face the prospect of relegation, this appointment raises serious and far-reaching concerns, and many fans have been in touch with us to urge us to communicate the strength of feeling. We raised these concerns directly with the club prior to its announcement. "The club has previously committed to challenging instances of violence against women and girls and acting with integrity and upholding its values when faced with any incidents. De Zerbi's comments about Mason Greenwood were unnecessary, ill-judged, and deeply offensive to a significant number of supporters and, without doubt, will have left victims of male violence alarmed." The statements have drawn a mixed response. There has been significant support from within the fanbase. Similar groups from other clubs across England have issued statements in solidarity. But there has been plenty of opposition, too; angry comments have been directed towards the respective fan group leaders online, by fans who believe the response is disproportionate. The club were still moved to address the controversy, though. De Zerbi was officially announced as Tottenham's head coach on Thursday, taking part in an in-house interview during which he was asked directly about the Greenwood episode. Speaking in Italian, rather than English, he apologised if he had "offended anyone's feelings with this subject matter". "I have never wanted to downplay the issue of violence against women or violence against anyone more broadly. In my life I've always stood up for those who are more vulnerable, more fragile. I've consistently fought and taken a stand to be on the side of those who are most at risk. "Those of you who know me well will know that I'm not the kind of person who makes compromises to win more games or to win an extra title. "I have a daughter and I'm very sensitive to these things, and I always have been. I hope that over time people will get to know me better and will understand that at that moment I didn't mean to take a stance." The THST responded positively, issuing a statement on Thursday evening. "We asked for Roberto De Zerbi and the Club to address the comments. He has done so and apologised for any offence. He has reiterated a commitment to challenge violence against women. This is extremely welcome. The fan base can now fully unite behind him and the team and work together to avoid relegation." But Women of the Lane, Proud Lilywhites and Spurs Reach are all yet to respond formally to the interview. Prior to the official announcement, Proud Lilywhites released a further statement, describing their stance. "Whilst we disagree with the managerial choice, in terms of cultural and competence, we will continue to support the players without pretending to be comfortable with the appointment. "This is not noise or reaction. It is a considered position and it is not going away." And that has not changed. Contacted by The Athletic for comment, a spokesperson for Proud Lilywhites confirmed that this remains the group's position. Tottenham will need unity if they are to survive relegation; their situation is desperate and time is running out. But while Roberto De Zerbi has the talent to get them moving forward again, a fanbase enraged and provoked by this season's many failures is still to reach a consensus on what the price for progress should be.