Tottenham Hotspur of the English Premier League (EPL) have appointed Roberto De Zerbi (46, Italy) as their new manager.
Tottenham announced on their official website on Thursday (Korea time) that they had "appointed De Zerbi as the new manager and signed a long-term contract, subject to work permit approval." The contract length was not officially disclosed, but local media reported it is a five-year deal through 2031 with no relegation-related clauses.
Tottenham moved to hire a new manager after sacking Igor Tudor on May 30. Tudor, who was appointed on May 14, was dismissed after just 44 days and only seven matches in charge (one win, one draw, five losses). During that span, Tottenham (30 points) slid to 17th in the EPL. They sit just one point above 18th-placed West Ham (29 points), the top of the relegation zone (18th to 20th), leaving them on the brink of the drop.
De Zerbi played as an attacking midfielder for approximately 15 years during his playing career, making around 300 appearances in the Italian league and elsewhere. He began his coaching career in his native Italy in 2013 and took charge of a top-flight team for the first time when he was appointed manager of Serie A side Palermo in September 2016. He gained EPL experience after taking over at Brighton & Hove Albion in September 2022, then moved to Marseille (France) in June 2024, guiding the club to a Ligue 1 runner-up finish in the 2024-2025 season.
"I am delighted to join Tottenham, one of the biggest and most prestigious clubs in the world," De Zerbi said on the club's website. "The short-term goal is to focus on climbing the EPL table until the final whistle of the last match of this season."