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The new Tottenham head coach, Roberto De Zerbi, has issued an apology for his past comments on Mason Greenwood and said he would never intentionally downplay violence against women.
The Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust (THST) strongly criticised the Italian’s appointment on Tuesday, releasing a statement that expressed “serious and far-reaching concerns” soon after he was confirmed to have signed a five-year deal in replacing the interim manager Igor Tudor.
De Zerbi also faced opposition from the fan groups Proud Lilywhites, Women of the Lane and Spurs Reach, with the THST’s statement calling on the club and the 46-year-old to publicly reassert their “commitment to the values that fans hold dear – chief among them equality, respect and integrity”.
De Zerbi responded in his first interview with the club’s in-house media on Thursday, stating that he wanted to answer in Italian “because I want to be clear”. “I have never wanted to downplay the issue of violence against women or violence against anyone more broadly,” he said.
“In my life, I have 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 am not the kind of person who makes compromises to win more games or to win an extra title.
“I am sorry if I offended anyone’s feeling 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.”
Greenwood was charged in 2022 with attempted rape, controlling and coercive behaviour and assault occasioning actual bodily harm. The Crown Prosecution Service discontinued the case in February 2023 after key witnesses withdrew their involvement and “new material came to light”.
The player had denied the charges. Greenwood, the former Manchester United forward, joined Marseille on a permanent deal in 2024 when De Zerbi was in charge of the French club. The head coach described the former England forward as a “good person” and said that “it saddens me what happened to him because I know a very different person from the one portrayed in England”.
Spurs are believed to have carefully considered the comments concerning Greenwood with De Zerbi during negotiations before deciding to appoint him. It is understood that there is no break clause in the former Brighton manager’s contract if Tottenham are relegated for the first time since 1977 and De Zerbi – who has more than a week to prepare for his first game at Sunderland next Sunday – said he is committed for the long term.
“I signed five years of contract because, for me, it is a big challenge and I will be the coach of Tottenham next season, no matter what,” he said. “It’s a difficult moment for everyone at Tottenham but I think we have the right qualities to come out of this moment. I believe in the players. I think we have to remember who we are and who the players are, because we have very big players and we have to work on their confidence and qualities.”
