Daily Mail

Roberto De Zerbi has promised to restore Tottenham’s pride, to stay for years, to take them to the top - and to thrill fans with the sort of football they played under Ange Postecoglou.

De Zerbi, whose first game as Spurs boss will be at Sunderland on Sunday, has signed a five-year contract without a relegation escape clause.

'In my plan for sure there is the idea to stay for a long time,' said the 46-year-old Italian as he field questions for the first time in his new role.

'To try to put Tottenham - and I’m not speaking about the titles because it’s not the right moment now - but to put Tottenham to stay in the first position in the Premier League because everything is here to reach that level.'

De Zerbi wants to play attacking football and believes the players are available to do that successfully.

'I want to keep the ball,' he said. 'I want to see again the Tottenham I watched with Postecoglou. In my second season in Brighton, there was Postecoglou here with a lot of these players and it was one of the best teams in terms of quality of play.

'With Pedro Porro, with Destiny Udogie, with Micky van de Ven, with Cristian Romero, with this squad, and I would like to see it again.

'The DNA of this club, of this squad is to find the goal, to score!'

The most urgent priority for Spurs however is to escape relegation. They are winless in 13 Premier League games, a dismal run stretching back to December and are onto their third boss of the season after sacking Thomas Frank in February and Igor Tudor six weeks later.

'I do not think I am better than Thomas Frank or Igor Tudor, because I consider them very good coaches,' said De Zerbi. 'I try to bring my style, myself, my character, my personality, my passion, to help the players first to show their qualities, because they have a lot of qualities.

'And then to achieve our target, because the most important part now is our target. Now I have to work. Now we have to make points.'

Over to you, Tottenham Hotspur. Do you have what it takes to get out of this? West Ham are here for the fight. Are you?

Genuine belief is spreading around the London Stadium that the Great Escape is on. There’s a unity, too, one thought lost for good. Boos and protests have filled this ground for much of the season yet, as the scoreboard ticked towards the final 15 minutes, with the score at 3-0, the home supporters rose to their feet as one: ‘Stand up, if you love West!’

Under Nuno Espirito Santo, they are coming together right when they need it.

West Ham were seven points adrift when they lost here to Nottingham Forest at the start of January. Tottenham sat four places above them with 13 points between them.

Now, for the first time since August 2015, Spurs will end a day inside the bottom three. And how fitting it was that it was a former Arsenal man in Konstantinos Mavropanos who scored twice to put them there.

West Ham will escape it for the first time since March when their point at Man City lifted them to safety, if only for a day. How long will this stay last?

If the Hammers are to survive, how vindicating it will feel for Nuno to send down either Spurs or Nottingham Forest, two clubs that believed they would be better off without him.

‘Anything can happen,’ declared Nuno in a pre-match video montage that played out over the big screens before kick-off. ‘It’s going to be a fight.’

It sure is, and they showed they are here for the scrap, but it still took a while for his players to roll up their sleeves. There was little of that buzz or frenzy or atmosphere of the end of that remarkable FA Cup tie that played out over three hours here on Sunday when West Ham fought back from two goals down in stoppage time to take Leeds into extra-time.

West Ham were ominously slow and tepid as Wolves threw the first punches. Angel Gomes fizzed an inviting ball in front of goal and only a desperate Kyle Walker-Peters clearance denied Hugo Bueno an early tap-in before namesake Santiago Bueno rasped one over the bar from distance. Yerson Mosquera nodded another chance wide while Adam Armstrong forced a save from Mads Hermansen with a header of his own from a long throw.

Wolves were, for the majority of the first-half at least, the better side. But when you have a player of Jarrod Bowen’s quality in your side, you’re never completely out of the pub brawl even if you’re not the first through the door.

During these recent difficult times, the question of whether Bowen is the kind of Kevin Nolan grab-you-by-the-scruff-of-the-neck captain West Ham need has been raised. It’s perhaps that lack of main character energy that will see him miss out on a place in Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup squad to wingers who consistently score and set up far fewer goals than he does.

And yet, as he so often does, he quietly goes about being the difference when West Ham need him. It was his link-up with Mateus Fernandes that slipped in Crysencio Summerville for his side’s first real chance only for him to blast his effort over the bar.

Summerville’s return from injury will be crucial for the run-in, having scored seven goals in 11 games before a calf complaint saw him miss the last three winless games, but even he had to shake some rust off.

It was Bowen who fired straight at Jose Sa when the ball fell to him in the box midway through the first half and, again, when he got on to the end of Mavropanos’s header but could only prod a deflected effort at the keeper.

And, so, it was Bowen again, who curled in the quality cross just before half-time to pick out the central defender and open the scoring and the corner at the death for Mavropanos to volley home his second.

How much of an upgrade for Nuno it was having Mavropanos back in the starting line-up in place of Max Kilman, who gave away one penalty against Leeds, should have given away two, and got booed by his own supporters whenever he touched the ball.

The goal brought West Ham to life. Bowen, clearly not done, drove down the wing early in the second-half, cut past Ladislav Krejci on to his left foot and rasped a bending shot against the woodwork, as he did twice against Leeds in the Cup.

Workhorse Pablo nearly made it two before the break after being slipped through on the counter only to be denied by a fine low save before slipping in fellow astute January signing Castellanos for the second. It was Bowen, of course, who played him in for the third just 99 seconds later.

Both of his shots, the second deflected, crawled over the line. When it’s all said and done, will West Ham do the same?

Roberto De Zerbi will attempt to keep Tottenham in the Premier League without several of his usual coaching team.

Only two of De Zerbi’s seven key staff will join him at Spurs for the last seven games of this season.

Those two are fitness coach Marcattilio Marcattilii, who has worked with him for more 10 years since they were together at Foggia, and senior development phase coach Marcello Quinto, a coach who joined him at Brighton.

Others including Andrea Maldera, who was his assistant manager at Brighton and Marseille, and Enrico Venturelli, a familiar figure during their time at Brighton where his roles included helping De Zerbi with translation, will not join him at Spurs for the rest of this season.

Bruno Saltor, who joined Spurs to assist interim boss Igor Tudor in February, will continue as an assistant coach.

Former Brighton defender Saltor left the Amex Stadium before De Zerbi’s arrival and worked with Graham Potter at Chelsea and West Ham.

Goalkeeping coach Fabian Otte, set-piece coach Andreas Georgson and individual development coach Cameroon Campbell, all appointed last summer under Thomas Frank, will continue in their roles along with Stuart Lewis and Dean Brill.

De Zerbi, who signed a five-year contract with no relegation escape, will take charge of his first Spurs game at Sunderland on Sunday.

Tottenham Hotspur refused to let Kanye West perform at its stadium in light of his record of anti-semitism and the club's historic Jewish links.

The disgraced rapper was instead booked by Wireless Festival, which is facing a furious backlash that has so far seen two major sponsors pull out.

Pepsi announced on Sunday morning it was withdrawing its sponsorship in protest against Kanye headlining, and Diageo, the owner of Guinness, Johnnie Walker and Captain Morgan, followed suit hours later.

Keir Starmer, meanwhile, has called the booking 'deeply concerning' given the rapper's previous 'antisemitic remarks and celebration of Nazism' - and there is speculation he might be blocked from entering the country at all.

Now, it has emerged that Kanye's team approached the north London football club about playing its stadium, before they considered Wireless.

A source told The Sun: 'As part of his big music comeback, they thought he warranted a headline run of shows and chose the Tottenham stadium as their venue of choice.

'But when they approached Tottenham with their proposal, the club rejected it.

'There was no way they would allow Kanye to perform at the club given its history with the Jewish community.'

These failed negotiations are said to have unfolded before the Kayne's entourage made an offer to Wireless, which was accepted.

He is currently down to headline all three nights of the festival in Finsbury Park, north London, on July 10, 11 and 12.

But its organisers are facing a growing storm of criticism, and intense pressure to strike him off the line-up.

Before pulling out, Pepsi was the festival's primary sponsor, with the full title listed on the website as 'Pepsi presents Wireless'.

But on Sunday morning, it released a statement saying: 'Pepsi has decided to withdraw its sponsorship of Wireless Festival.'

Diageo was another key partner, but has also washed its hands of the event as things stand, saying: 'We have informed the organisers of our concerns and as it stands, Diageo will not sponsor the 2026 Wireless festival.'

Remaining sponsors, including AB InBev, owner of Budweiser, and PayPal, have yet to comment on their involvement in light of Kanye being unveiled.

West incited worldwide condemnation after developing a foul habit of anti-semitism. He unleashed several hate-filled rants on social media, in which he identified himself as a Nazi, and last year released a song called Heil Hitler.

Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey called on the Government to ban Kanye West from the UK, insisting we 'need to get tougher on anti-semitism'.

The power to ban the rapper from entering the country rests with Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood.

Under UK immigration rules, a person can be denied entry based on their character, conduct or associations when these could threaten the British public.

This can include opinions that 'foster hatred which might lead to inter-community violence in the UK'.

Sir Keir told The Sun on Sunday: 'It is deeply concerning that Kanye West has been booked to perform at Wireless despite his previous anti-semitic remarks and celebration of Nazism.

'Antisemitism in any form is abhorrent and must be confronted clearly and firmly whatever it appears.

'Everyone has a responsibility to ensure Britain is a place where Jewish people feel safe and secure.'

The Jewish Leadership Council similarly slated Wireless festival for booking the musician - and said the decision was 'deeply irresponsible'.

Tottenham Hotspur declined to comment.

The Daily Mail has contacted Wireless Festival for comment.

Former Tottenham favourite Victor Wanyama is backing Roberto De Zerbi to not only save his old side from relegation but turn them into a competitive force once again.

Wanyama announced his retirement from football on Friday to focus on a coaching career and says he has followed de Zerbi since the Italian's days at Sassuolo.

'I have studied him closely. Everywhere he has gone he has improved teams,' says Wanyama. 'I've long admired De Zerbi since I noticed what he was doing with Sassuolo. Look at Shakhtar, Brighton and Marseille. He changes sides, he moulds them so they're not just survivors, they're competitors.

'I firmly believe he is the right man for Tottenham. He can keep them up, 100 per cent.

'He may need to compromise principles at first, but he is very experienced, he knows what is missing and what is necessary.'

How Tottenham could do with a midfield enforcer in Wanyama's mould today.

The 34-year-old had a big impact on Mauricio Pochettino's side during his time at the old White Hart Lane until injuring his knee in a pre-season friendly at Wembley and aggravating it against Chelsea weeks later. The initial cartilage damage and bone bruising ruled him out for four months and his physical style meant he had to manage the wear and tear throughout his career.

'It's been difficult for the coaches at Tottenham this season because of the amount of injuries they have had. They have had 10 to 15 players out at different times and that certainly didn't help,' says Wanyama.

'The club has tried different approaches but it's tough when you don't have all the squad back together.

'If they can get Kudus, Maddison and Bentancur back they can play a big part in turning it around. Also getting Solanke back into a rhythm. It will make them much more solid as a unit when they have that threat.'

Wanyama was in London to see Spurs lose to Liverpool in December but will throw his support behind them again as he plans to take in more games as the season reaches its nail-biting finale for supporters.

He regards his time at Spurs among the fondest of his career. Although a highlight remains becoming the first Kenyan to score in the Champions League, when he netted for Celtic in a famous win over Barcelona, he pinpoints making the final in Madrid with Pochettino's side and scoring one of the last goals at White Hart Lane as career highlights - as well as forming a great bond playing alongside another former Spurs favourite Mousa Dembele.

'I still keep in touch with some of the medical staff at Spurs and people who work in the offices,' says Wanyama from his home in Nairobi. 'Hopefully, I'll be over for the Brighton game to support them.'

Next for Wanyama is his own coaching career. The attrition on his knee had meant, between games, his last few seasons at Montreal and Dunfermline Athletic were punctuated with remedies of ice treatment, rest and anti-inflammatories.

'I've been managing it for some time and it was time to walk away, not to stress any more. I had to go through a lot of pain over the years because of the position I play and how I like to play with physicality. Now I can't wait to learn.'

Wanyama completed his UEFA B badge last year in Northern Ireland, doing his course alongside the likes of former Arsenal keeper Vito Mannone, ex-Sheffield Wednesday stopper David Stockdale and Jos Hooiveld, the former Southampton centre back.

He's working towards his A badge and has already spoken to clubs in London as he looks to break through as a coach at academy level first.

'I have my foundation here in Nairobi where I still work with young people and I'm training every day.

'I see working with the younger generation as the initial way forward for me then we will see.

'My dream is to coach in Europe. That has to be my goal.'

Maybe Spurs will welcome Wanyama's return to the touchline sooner than they think. And at least he is convinced that if that day comes, they will be in the Premier League.

New Tottenham boss Roberto De Zerbi has insisted he 'never wanted to downplay the issue of violence against women' after a backlash from fans over his previous comments regarding Mason Greenwood.

In his first club interview following his appointment earlier this week, De Zerbi was invited to respond to fans who have concerns over comments he made while Marseille boss when coaching Greenwood.

Greenwood had joined Marseille in the summer of 2024 from Manchester United, two years after he was arrested on suspicion of rape, assault, and coercive and controlling behaviour.

The Crown Prosecution Service dropped the charges the following year, citing the withdrawal of key witnesses and new material that came to light. He denied all charges.

De Zerbi defended Greenwood following his move and stoked further controversy in November 2025 as Greenwood prepared for his first match on English soil since leaving Man United as a loanee two seasons earlier.

'He's a good guy, he paid a heavy price for what happened, a very heavy price,' De Zerbi had said. 'He has found the right environment for him.

'We have lent him a hand and given him affection. He's a little bit introverted but I know him and his family. It saddens me what happened in his life, because I know a totally different person than the one who was described in England.'

De Zerbi, speaking in his native Italian, addressed Tottenham fans' concerns over the remarks by saying: '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'm sorry if I offended anyone's feelings with this subject matter - 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.’

Minutes after De Zerbi's appointment was confirmed on Tuesday, the Tottenham Hotspur Supporters' Trust issued a statement stating it raises 'serious and far-reaching concerns' and added it had expressed concerns from fans to the club.

In a statement, the THST had said: '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.

'We believe these statements, left unchecked, will create a divide among supporters at a time when we all need to be pulling together to back the team. It is concerning that the Club would put us in this position right when the team needs fans the most.

'The Club must reassert its commitment to the values that fans hold dear - chief among them equality, respect, and integrity. Any perceived sympathy toward alleged perpetrators of physical or sexual violence against women fundamentally undermines trust in the custodianship of this Club.'

The THST had called for De Zerbi and the club to 'clearly and unequivocally reaffirm these values' in their communication, along with this being backed by 'meaningful action, including visible and sustained support for women’s charities and organisations working to combat violence against women.'

Supporters groups Women of the Lane, Proud Lilywhites, and Spurs Reach had launched a 'No to Roberto De Zerbi campaign' after Tottenham's pursuit of the coach had emerged last week.

De Zerbi takes charge with Tottenham one point above the relegation zone, with the Italian facing a crunch seven game spell to preserve their Premier League status.

The 46-year-old insisted he will Tottenham manager next season 'no matter what', citing his five-year contract as a sign of his commitment.

De Zerbi stated that the role was 'the most important challenge in my career'.

'I think in this moment, we have no time to work too much on more principles, but we have to know what we have to do on the pitch,' he added.

'We have to have a good organisation on the pitch, with the ball, without the ball. We have to consider the qualities of the players.

'We are lucky, I am lucky because I have big players with big talent and my work is to help the players to show their qualities.'

De Zerbi will take charge for the first time when Tottenham face Sunderland away on April 12, while his first home game is against his former club Brighton on April 18.

It’s official - Tottenham Hotspur have appointed Roberto De Zerbi as their new manager, with the Italian taking charge effective immediately.

De Zerbi inked a five-year deal reportedly worth around £12 million a year, making him the second-highest-paid manager behind Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola.

His appointment follows the club’s decision to part ways with Igor Tudor on Sunday, just 44 days into his tenure.

De Zerbi takes over at a particularly turbulent time for Spurs, with the north London side sitting just one point above the relegation zone and still without a league win this calendar year - the only team yet to secure one.

De Zerbi's first game in charge will be against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light on April 12.

For those who will be following his journey as Spurs boss closely, Sky Bet have launched a number of Roberto De Zerbi Tottenham Specials, which can be found below.

Roberto De Zerbi Tottenham Specials

Tottenham to make 1+ first team signings from Brighton in the 2026 summer Transfer Window

Tottenham to score 6+ goals in their next 3 matches (vs Sunderland, Brighton & Wolves)

Tottenham to concede 6+ goals in their next 3 matches (vs Sunderland, Brighton & Wolves)

Roberto De Zerbi to win 0 games in his first 3 matches in charge of Tottenham

Roberto De Zerbi to leave his position as Tottenham manager before 22/08/2026

Roberto De Zerbi to be booked vs Brighton (18/04/2026)

Tottenham to score 8+ goals in their next 3 matches (vs Sunderland, Brighton & Wolves)

Tottenham not to win any of their 7 remaining league games this season

Tottenham to avoid relegation & to win a trophy in the 2026/27 season

Tottenham to concede 8+ goals in their next 3 matches (vs Sunderland, Brighton & Wolves)

Roberto De Zerbi to win each of his first 3 matches in charge of Tottenham

Roberto De Zerbi to lose each of his first 3 matches in charge of Tottenham

Tottenham to score 10+ goals in their next 3 matches (vs Sunderland, Brighton & Wolves)

What Tottenham fans can expect from Roberto De Zerbi: High-octane, high-risk football, boardroom battles, a 'magnetic' personality

Roberto de Zerbi has been confirmed as Tottenham’s new boss, signing a five-year deal with no relegation clause.

Spurs, who are perilously floating just a point above the relegation zone with seven games to go, sacked Igor Tudor on Sunday just 44 days after the interim manager arrived in north London.

Former Brighton boss De Zerbi had been available since his exit from Marseille in February and was understood to have been reluctant to take the Spurs job immediately, preferring to join the club in the summer.

However, Spurs have been successful in persuading the Italian to join the relegation-threatened club immediately, offering both a five-year deal and a huge salary only topped by Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola in the Premier League.

De Zerbi will work under the title of head coach and promised fans he would strive to deliver football to excite them.

As part of Tottenham's official announcement on the club website, the 46-year-old Italian 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.'

Johan Lange, Tottenham's sporting director, added: '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.'

De Zerbi’s first job is to evade relegation from the Premier League, and his first game is against Sunderland on Sunday week.

Spurs head into the final seven games of the season in 17th place, a mere point ahead of West Ham United and two points behind Nottingham Forest, who comprehensively beat them 3-0 prior to the international break.

Minutes after De Zerbi's appointment was confirmed, the Tottenham Hotspur Supporters' Trust issued a statement stating it raises 'serious and far-reaching concerns' and added it had expressed concerns from fans to the club.

The THST cited De Zerbi's previous comments about Mason Greenwood, who was signed and played for the Italian during his time at Marseille.

Greenwood moved to Marseille in 2024, two years after he was arrested on suspicion of rape, assault, and coercive and controlling behaviour. The Crown Prosecution Service dropped the charges the following year, citing the withdrawal of key witnesses and new material that came to light. He denied all charges.

De Zerbi defended Greenwood following his move and stoked further controversy in November 2025 as Greenwood prepared for his first match on English soil since leaving Man United as a loanee two seasons earlier.

'He's a good guy, he paid a heavy price for what happened, a very heavy price,' De Zerbi said. 'He has found the right environment for him.

'We have lent him a hand and given him affection. He's a little bit introverted but I know him and his family. It saddens me what happened in his life, because I know a totally different person than the one who was described in England.'

In a statement, the THST said: '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.

'We believe these statements, left unchecked, will create a divide among supporters at a time when we all need to be pulling together to back the team. It is concerning that the Club would put us in this position right when the team needs fans the most.

'The Club must reassert its commitment to the values that fans hold dear—chief among them equality, respect, and integrity. Any perceived sympathy toward alleged perpetrators of physical or sexual violence against women fundamentally undermines trust in the custodianship of this Club.

'With this appointment, communications from the Club and from Mr De Zerbi must clearly and unequivocally reaffirm these values. Furthermore, those words must be backed by meaningful action, including visible and sustained support for women’s charities and organisations working to combat violence against women.'

The THST added that its preference would have been for a short-term appointment to lead the fight against relegation, with a view to assessing a wider pool of candidates in the summer.

Supporters groups Women of the Lane, Proud Lilywhites, and Spurs Reach had launched a 'No to Roberto De Zerbi campaign' in recent days after Tottenham's pursuit of the coach emerged.

Former Tottenham manager Tim Sherwood was among those with concerns over the appointment on Monday, sharing his doubts on whether the combustible Italian is the 'safe pair of hands' needed to swerve relegation.

'For anyone going in now, you have to put a question mark on it because you've only got seven games left,' Sherwood told Sky Sports.

'I like him, I really do. I like his personality. I said many months ago that he would be the man to come into Tottenham.

'I would've picked him over Mauricio Pochettino for the long term because he plays that style that Tottenham fans want to play. He opens up the pitch, but not now. That style is not needed now, what they need now is a safe pair of hands. This is far from a safe pair of hands.'

Shortly after the appointment was confirmed, Sherwood reacted to the news on social media platform Peek, wishing luck to the Italian.

He said: 'I've seen head coach mentioned and I've seen manager. He has to be the manager. You have to control the footballing side.

'You cannot trust the people who are there at the moment to do the recruitment or anything regarding the footballing side. You have to do it yourself. Good luck mate.'

Roberto De Zerbi is closing in on becoming the new Tottenham boss, but an incident from three years ago when he was Brighton manager almost scuppered his chances.

Back in April 2023 during a Premier League match at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium between Spurs and Brighton, De Zerbi was involved in a furious touchline row with Cristian Stellini, the hosts' interim head coach at the time.

Their original clash came pre-match before a skirmish involving both benches early in the second half led to the two Italian coaches being handed red cards.

Daily Mail Sport understands that when Thomas Frank was sacked in February, there were sources at Spurs making it clear they were not interested in De Zerbi in the slightest, and for multiple reasons.

One of these was the fact they were put off by his notoriety as an incendiary character as laid bare by that visit of his Brighton team three years ago.

On that occasion, De Zerbi’s finger jabbing and jibes sparked a row with Stellini as tension bubbled at the pre-match handshake after comments in the build-up to the game.

De Zerbi is thought to have taken offence to Stellini saying Brighton's good form was a result of him simply carrying on the good work of his predecessor Graham Potter.

Potter had left the club the previous September to join Chelsea.

'They came from a good [manager] with Graham Potter for a long time,' Stellini said. 'I think Roberto De Zerbi has found a good solution to play with this style because with Potter the players know themselves very well.

'This is a great opportunity because when players play for a long time with each other it is easier.'

De Zerbi later said: 'Yes (I felt disrespected). It's a personal situation. I told him what was my opinion, my idea, not bad words, only my opinion.

'I'm used to always respecting everyone inside and outside of the pitch. I don't like it when people don't respect me.

'But there are normal situations in football. It's personal things. I always respect everyone, especially the coaches. I can answer for me, not for him.'

Following the melee in the second period, both De Zerbi and Stellini were then dismissed, although the Spurs boss was keen to play down the carnage and clash post-match.

'Sometimes when we speak Italian people seem aggressive,' he told Sky Sports. 'We were not aggressive. I don't want to speak about other managers.

'This is only the second game I'm a head coach. I want to respect every manager. What happened on the pitch, stays on the pitch.'

On his sending off, he added: 'I didn't say anything. I tried to keep calm. I am the head coach and have to respect the decision. Our team used the situation to create energy, that's because it helped us.'

Spurs won the game 2-1, but three years later De Zerbi is now set to be in the opposite dugout despite those initial concerns from the club's hierarchy.

Let’s not pretend the late swerve for Roberto De Zerbi is any sort of triumph for Tottenham’s incredible powers of persuasion.

Yes, they have convinced the Italian to take charge now when he was reluctant. He had made it clear he would prefer to start his next job in pre-season, a time when it is invariably more sensible to start than with the fuse lit on a season in meltdown.

Something has changed his mind. And if it isn’t simply the result of a month recharging his batteries or an attractive salary set to propel him into the bracket of top earning coaches in world football, it will probably have something to do with the recruitment demands and the power at his disposal with the situation as it is.

From the Spurs angle, though, the appointment represents a seismic U-turn for a head coach they have chosen to overlook at various points during the last 12 months.

They opted for Thomas Frank last summer ahead of De Zerbi, who was then at Marseille but no less approachable than the Brentford boss.

They then stuck with Frank when Fabio Paratici, the Italian sporting director who left Spurs for Fiorentina at the start of February, lobbied internally for a change of head coach before Christmas, and was apparently confident of prising De Zerbi out of the French club.

Then they overlooked him again when appointing Igor Tudor in February although by this time De Zerbi had parted with Marseille and was already talking about the need to take a break.

Most pertinently, when Tudor arrived to replace Frank, there were sources at Spurs making it clear they were not interested in De Zerbi in the slightest, and for two reasons.

Firstly, they were put off by his notoriety as an incendiary character as laid bare by the visit of his Brighton team to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium three years ago.

It was an occasion when De Zerbi’s finger jabbing and jibes sparked a row with interim Spurs boss Cristian Stellini which ended in an unseemly touchline skirmish involving both benches and red cards for the two Italian coaches.

Secondly, and more recently, there were people at Spurs very uncomfortable with De Zerbi’s part in helping Mason Greenwood to restore his reputation at Marseille after the striker left Manchester United in disgrace despite charges of attempted rape and assault being dropped.

When they were together in France, De Zerbi described Greenwood as ‘a good guy’ who ‘paid a heavy price’.

Last week, three Spurs fan groups - Proud Lilywhites, Women of the Lane and Spurs Reach - registered their opposition to the idea the Italian might soon be bringing those views to their club, claiming his comments had raised ‘serious questions about judgment and leadership’.

If Spurs have abandoned their morals while slamming on the handbrake and screeching off in a different direction it is a decision, no doubt, fuelled by sheer desperation.

'Those are my principles and if you don’t like them, well, I have others,' as Groucho Marx said.

Needs-must. The ignominy of relegation beckons. They will slide into the Premier League’s bottom three if West Ham beat Wolverhampton Wanderers on Friday week, two days before they play again at Sunderland.

What are a few principles compared to the millions that will be lost if they end up in the Championship? Really, who cares about the moral high ground just so long as it’s not the relegation swamp?

So, De Zerbi it is. Another hire carrying the fingerprints of Paratici, who appears no less influential at Spurs today than he did before his exit on February 5, nor during his 30-month worldwide ban for his part in financial irregularities during his time at Juventus.

His lingering influence will invite further scrutiny upon the leadership team of chief executive Vinai Venkatesham and sporting director Johan Lange, who have fired and hired two head coaches in less than two months since Paratici left London and failed to come up with a candidate they might call their own.

None of this bodes particularly well for the future of Spurs under the regime installed since chairman Daniel Levy was ousted in September.

Lange’s position looks particularly vulnerable as Spurs step up their search for a successor to Paratici.

Lange, a Dane closely aligned with Frank, is a sporting director with his eyes most closely trained on data and emerging talent while Paratici, who had the same title during his latest spell at Spurs, was prized for his network of contacts and a knack for closing a deal.

There will be changes as the club restructure and reinforce their executive tier in the months ahead.

In the short term, however, De Zerbi certainly will boost their chances of survival. And when push comes to shove that is what the bulk of supporters care most about.

He is a strong leader, who takes no nonsense from his players.

Unlike Frank, the style of football he likes to play is unashamedly expansive and aggressive. Unlike Tudor, he should be tuned in to the demands of the Premier League.

He spent the best part of two seasons at Brighton, replacing Graham Potter and finishing sixth, and leading the club’s inaugural European campaign before leaving in May 2024 amid tensions over recruitment.

De Zerbi’s Brighton were quick, fearless and exciting to watch. Seldom boring, which should appeal in N17.

Although Brighton, like Brentford, are one of those modern clubs so well run that it is often difficult to figure out exactly what part of the success is down to the head coach and how much down to the data and algorithms of Tony Bloom and Matthew Benham driving recruitment and performance.

De Zerbi though has enough on his CV to support his ability. Success in Italy and Ukraine, and a good year at Marseille, finishing last season as runners-up, 19 points behind European champions Paris Saint-Germain.

So, leave your morals at the door as Spurs shift from the plan for another Tudoresque interim towards a long-term appointment.

The dream return for Mauricio Pochettino, who remains committed to the United States until after this summer’s World Cup, will have to be shelved yet again.

At least the Spurs crowd will have someone to sing for if they find it all goes awry once again under De Zerbi.